English for Academic Purpose: Workplace Stress and Employee Illnesses

This essay delves into the critical relationship between workplace stress and its detrimental effects on employee health and performance. It meticulously examines various factors contributing to stress, such as career concerns, heavy workloads, and negative work environments, and links these to a range of illnesses including insomnia, heart disease, and depression. The essay evaluates studies demonstrating a direct correlation between workplace stress and employee well-being, emphasizing the need for proactive stress management strategies. Furthermore, the essay highlights the importance of implementing effective policies, such as open communication, flexible working hours, and mental health benefits, to mitigate workplace stress and foster a healthier, more productive work environment. It concludes by providing recommendations for management to effectively address and reduce workplace stress, ultimately improving both employee health and organizational success.

Running head: WORKPLACE STRESS AND ILLNESS 0
English for Academic Purpose
Relationship between Workplace Stress and Illness

WORKPLACE STRESS AND ILLNESS 1
Abstract
The aim of this essay is to analyse the relationship between workplace stress and
illnesses caused due to it and how it affects the performance of employees. The essay
evaluated a number of studies which showed a direct link between workplace stress and
illness among employees. There are a number of factors which result in causing stress among
employees such as career concerns, heavy workload, long hours and shifts, lack of
advancement opportunities, fear of layoffs, negative working environment, disputes at
workplace and others. These factors cause stress among employees which might cause
illnesses such as insomnia, stroke, seizures, weak immune system, asthma attack, heart
disease, Alzheimer disease, irritable bowel syndrome and gastroesophageal reflux. In order to
address these issues, companies implement appropriate policies for reducing workplace stress
such as effective communication, positive working environment, flexible working hours,
physical and mental health benefits, regular meditation, short breaks and others. These
policies reduce workplace stress and it promotes a healthy working environment which is
suitable for the health of employees and it results in improving their performance.

WORKPLACE STRESS AND ILLNESS 2
Relationship between Workplace Stress and Illness
Workplace stress is referred to the stress that is generated in a workplace as a result of
conflict between employees or management. An employee’s control over workflow is
directly linked to the level of stress he/she will face at the workplace (Burton, Hobbler, &
Scheuer, 2012). While working, it is common to face elements of stress, but, true workplace
stress can be harmful to an individual that can cause emotional and physical reactions. There
are a number of stress-related illnesses which occurred due to high level of stress such as
heart diseases, asthma, diabetes, obesity, depression, headaches, and others. It is necessary
that an individual takes proper precautions for effectively dealing with diseases relating to
stress. With the growing popularity of globalisation and digitalisation, the number of people
facing workplace stress is growing at a substantial rate. Many organisations implement
programs for effectively managing the stress level of their employees (Hall, Everett &
Hamilton-Mason, 2012). The thesis statement is that workplace stress result in causing a
number of illnesses, and it is a serious issue which is necessary to be addressed since it
negatively affects the performance of both employees and the company. This essay will focus
on analysing the relationship between workplace stress and illnesses. This essay will evaluate
how workplace stresses cause illnesses and how organisations can implement effective
measure to prevent such illnesses. Further, various recommendations will be provided in the
essay which can assist management in effectively managing workplace stress.
Stress on the job can occur due to a number of reasons, and it affects are far reaching
which negatively affects both the employer and employees. The requirement of talented and
skilled labour is growing continuously, and the economy is on the upswing. In order to retain
higher profits, organisations put heavy pressure on their employees to perform better. While
demand for skilled employees is increasing, many industries are still suffering from issues
such as layoffs, downsizing, bankruptcies, and mergers (Cooper & Marshall, 2013).
Employees face issues such as the fear of job loss, increased responsibilities, fewer benefits,
work overload, pay cuts, achievement of targets, higher production demands, and more.
These factors create an environment of stress at the workplace which causes job stress. There
are a number of factors which increases workplace stress and illnesses in employees, such as
moral, management style, career concerns, job responsibilities, and working environment.
When employees have low morale, they feel powerless and dissatisfied with their job. This
result in making them complacent and their productivity suffers from it as well. According to

WORKPLACE STRESS AND ILLNESS 3
Forbes (2017), top 10 most stressful jobs include broadcaster, taxi driver, public relations
executive, senior corporate executives, newspaper reporter, event coordinator, police officer,
airline pilot, firefighter, and enlisted military personnel. However, these jobs require high
attention and skills of employees that increase their stress level, but other employees working
in 9 to 5 shifts are also facing issues relating to workplace stress as well.
People working as a secretary, editor, middle manager, and waiter also face a high
level of stress in the workplace which affects their health condition. Individuals in these
careers face issues such as unfair labour practices, inadequate job descriptions, and heavy
authority which reduce their moral and increase their stress. Working environment at an
office is a key factor of stress; positive culture in the workplace creates positive vibes
whereas negative working environment increases the stress level of employees (Backe,
Seidler, Latza, Rossnagel & Schumann, 2012). The management style is another factor which
causes stress among employees. When officers have poor communication channels between
employees and management, workers do not feel a part of the company. If the management
failed to include employees’ opinions into the decision-making process, they are more likely
to feel discouraged which leads to increasing workplace dispute which is a prime reason that
causes stress. Pressure of job responsibilities is a key factor which increases stress among
employees. High pressure means heavy workload, long hours and shifts, ignoring workers’
skills, unnecessary routine tasks, heavy workload and others (Wolever et al., 2012). Career
concerns such as job insecurity, lack of advancement opportunities, or fear of layoffs increase
stress among employees. Some jobs are more dangerous than occurs due to which some
employees face traumatic events which result in increasing their stress levels. These factors
increase stress in workers which causes illness in employees.
Many people do not realise that other than viruses or bacteria, high-stress levels can
also disable a body’s immune system which makes it more susceptible or vulnerable to
illnesses. Stress can increase distress in the body by reducing its ability to fight off
microscopic invaders or functions properly to avoid them in the first place. There are many
types of illnesses which are a result of high stress which is caused due to negative work
environment or job pressure. Insomnia is a result of high stress or anxiety because it keeps
people awake at night (Talbot et al., 2014). People worry about a number of factors which are
related to their jobs such as job insecurity, office dispute, lack of advancement opportunities,
or fear of layoffs which keeps them awake at night. Lack of sleep caused due to Insomnia
resulted in increasing risk of medical conditions such as stroke, seizures, weak immune

WORKPLACE STRESS AND ILLNESS 4
system and asthma attack, and increasing mental health disorders such as depression,
confusion and anxiety. High stress at work result in increased heart rate and blood flow of
employees, and it causes the release of triglycerides and cholesterol in the bloodstream which
resulted in increasing heart disease (Kivimaki et al., 2012). In some cases, stress increases the
likelihood of obesity or smoking which indirectly increases the risk of heart attacks. People
suffering from serious cardiac problems are also required to avoid acute stress since it might
cause a heart attack.
Workplace stress can cause eating disorder in employees since they eat something
sweet or tasty when they are overwhelmed by stress. While facing stress, thousands of people
react by creating a diet of sweet or carbohydrate-laden foods which provide them a quick
sugar rush. Eating disorder increases obesity in the employees which increase health risks for
employees. Stress also causes a high level of hormone cortisol which increases fat in people
that is dangerous for their heart. Eating a high sugar based diet increases the risk of diabetes
(Selye, 2013). Stress also worsens disabilities because people are more likely eat unhealthy
food and excessive drinking. Stress at workplace makes people hopeless and angry which
lead to depression. More than one million people in Australia suffer from depression (Beyond
Blue, 2018). People suffering from depression feel chronically sad, and they find it difficult
thinking clearly which contributes to stress as well. Like depression, panic attacks and
anxiety disorder are caused due to high stress. Employees who are struggling at workplace
feel uneasy and experience high level of anxiety that can manifest into fear. Lack of
communication in the workplace and lack of assistance from top-level management
contributes to increased stress among employees (Beehr, 2014). Anxiety and panic attacks
hinder the performance of employees at the workplace and reduce their productivity. Most
people avoid taking help from medical professionals in case of mental illnesses which
increases their negative impacts.
Physical illnesses caused due to stress include seasonal viruses or the garden variety
cold. People who are stressed often have a weak immune system which does not function
properly. Consequently, they are more likely to get sick from colds and viruses, and they also
suffer longer than other individuals. Many studies have shown that stress can worsen asthma
which can be dangerous for people (Mark & Smith, 2012). Pressure from boss or conflict
between employees increases the risk of developing asthma in employees. Heavy workload
or hostile working environment resulted in increased stress in employees that are common
triggers for headaches. The stress caused at workplace increase not just tension headaches but

WORKPLACE STRESS AND ILLNESS 5
migraines as well which can be detrimental to the health of a person. There are many other
illnesses as well which are directly related to workplace stress. For example, high level of
stress in employees results in accelerating the ageing process. Studies have shown a
relationship between stress and Alzheimer disease (Ganster & Rosen, 2013). People who
have Alzheimer disease have to maintain their stress level because high level of workplace
stress can trigger the negative symptoms of the disease. Stress also creates gastrointestinal
problems in employees. Stress does not cause ulcers; however, it makes them worse. Diseases
such as irritable bowel syndrome and gastroesophageal reflux disease can cause due to high-
stress level in the workplace (WebMD, 2018). These diseases prove that workplace stress and
illnesses have a strong relationship since a high level of stress causes above mentioned
illnesses in employees.
In today’s competitive business world, organisations consider their employees as vital
assets which provide them a competitive advantage. Therefore, they focus on implementing
appropriate policies for maintaining their stress level in order to reduce illnesses and increase
retention levels. For example, Google is one of the leading technology companies which
generate its competitive advantage by retaining highly talented employees in the organisation.
The company focuses on establishing a positive working environment for its employees that
reduce their stress level and encourage them to perform better. The corporation has
implemented policies such as free lunch, unlimited sick leaves, time to work on personal
projects, free medical check-ups, free tuitions, long maternity leave, vacations, and others
(Finkle, 2012). The human resource department also communicates and interact with
employees in order to understand the workplace issues face by them which assist in reducing
conflicts between employees. These policies assist in reducing workplace stress at Google
which result in improve employees’ productivity. Similarly, many other organisations
implement policies for improving their workplace environment in order to reduce employees’
stress levels. However, on a global level, there is still lack of awareness in employers
regarding employees stress level, and they avoid taking appropriate measures for addressing
high-stress level in employees (Schnall, Dobson, Rosskam & Elling, 2018). Effective
organisations policies can assist in reducing stress at the workplace which also results in
reducing illnesses relating to high-stress levels.
In order to reduce stress at workplace, organisations are required to implement
strategic policies that address different issues faced by the employees at the workplace. For
example, facilitating an open dialogue between management and employees can result in

WORKPLACE STRESS AND ILLNESS 6
reducing stress at the workplace because workers can tell managers regarding the issues faced
by them and executives can implement effective policies for addressing such issues. Effective
communication channels are necessary to be established between employees and
management which result in establishing a positive working environment. It is also necessary
that employer provide physical and mental health benefits to employees in order to ensure
that they are protected against illnesses which caused due to high workplace stress. Regular
meditation and exercise programs can also assist employees in dealing with the stress and
illnesses relating to it. The company can also establish programs for employee vacation
which provide them opportunity to cool off and recharge to deal with high-stress levels
effectively. Short breaks in between working hours, flexible schedule and bring diversion to
the office also assist in reducing workplace stress and illnesses which caused due to a high
level of stress.
In conclusion, workplace stress and illnesses are directly related to each other because
the high level of stress at workplace increasing the risk of illnesses in employees. Workplace
stress is caused due to various factors such as heavy workload, irregular working hours,
dispute with co-workers, lack of communication and growth opportunities and others. These
factors increase stress level in workers which lead to a number of illnesses. The illnesses
directly related to workplace stress include heart disease, asthma, obesity, eating disorder,
depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and others. It is necessary that organisations implement
appropriate policies for addressing these issues in order to ensure that their workers are
stress-free and working effectively. Many organisations implement strategic policies for
reducing the stress level of employees at the workplace and reducing illnesses related to high
stress level. The companies can improve communication between employees and managers,
provide physical and mental health benefits, starting exercise and meditation sessions,
provide planned vacations, regular breaks from work and establish a flexible working
schedule. These policies can assist organisations in reducing workplace stress and illnesses
relating to a high-stress level which sustains their and employees future development.

WORKPLACE STRESS AND ILLNESS 7
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