Project Report

on
“Initiatives/Schemes for Stress Reduction and
Employee Well-Being”
Submitted
In the partial fulfillment of the Degree of
National Management Programme (NMP)

Submitted by: - Group 5 (Roll No. 34-42)

34-Monika Grewal 39-Raghavendra
35-Nand Bhushan 40-Rajdeep Arora
36-Nipun Gambhir 41-Ravi Yadav
37-Niyati Nigam 42-Rishi Raj Hada
38-Priyanka Jain
 Acknowledgement
We would like to thank Prof Radha R Sharma, our project guide, for giving us an opportunity
to work on this project. She explained us the basic knowledge of “Impact of Stress on
Employees” and how to manage Stress in Personnel and Professional Life. She has also
explained the ways of managing Stress and demonstrated how to deal with Stress. This was
extremely helpful and gave us practical learning. She also abridged our theoretical
knowledge of Organizational Behavior and Stress Management through Questioners.

We are extremely grateful to her for the constant guidance throughout the course of the
project. We sincerely thank her for sparing her valuable time and providing necessary
background for the project.

We are also grateful to our institute, MDI Gurgaon, for providing us with excellent
infrastructural support.

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 INDEX

1. Stress ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4

2. Experiments conducted to understand Stress--------------------------------------------------------------------- 5

3. Stress Generator and different types of Stress--------------------------------------------------------------------- 7

4. Definition of Stress------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8

4.1 Basic stress-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8

4.2 Cumulative Stress ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9

4.3 Traumatic Stress------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11

5 Post -traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13

6 Stress Evaluation Test --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14

7 Models of Stress Management----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16

7.1 Transactional Model ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16

7.2 Health Realization Model------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16

7.3 Stimulus based model------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 17

7.4 Response based model----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18

7.5 General Adaptation Theory----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18

8 Types of Interventions for Workplace------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21

9 Steps for interventions process---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22

10 Levels of intervention-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24

11 Workplace stress and poor mental health among "blue collar workers"

in construction industry --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25

12 Workplace stress and poor mental health among "blue collar workers"

in retail industry------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27

13 Health promotion at work------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30

14 Smoking and stress---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35

15 HSE Policies of a company------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 36

16 Example of interventions in Indian scenario-------------------------------------------------------------------- 39

17 Conclusion--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42

18 Bibliography------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43

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1. Stress
The term “stress”, as it is currently used was coined by Hans Selye in 1936, who defined it as
“the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change”.
Stress is a medical term for a wide range of strong external stimuli, both physiological and
psychological, which can cause a physiological response called the general adaptation
syndrome, first described in 1936 by Hans Selye in the journal Nature.
Each person’s definition and thinking about the term stress is uniquely personal. As a result
different researchers have defined stress differently.
Stress as Distress: The word stress itself began as a variant of the term ‘distress’ in the
fourteenth century. The medieval term actually meant physical hardship, pain, torture and
starvation.
Stress as Perception: Hans Seyle’s stress definition later expanded in 1979 as he explained
further that “stress is a ‘perception’. It is the demands that are imposed upon us because
there are too many alternatives”.
Stress as Environmental Demands: Holyroyd and Lazarus in their research explained in 1982
that “psychological stress requires a judgment that environmental and/or internal demands
exceed the individual’s resources for managing them”.
Stress as Events: Skinner in 1985 defined stress as “a reaction of a particular individual to a
stimulus event”.
Stress as Adaptive Responses: Eliot concluded that “stress may be viewed as the body’s
response to any real or imagined event perceived as requiring some adaptive response
and/or producing strain”.
Stress as UnderLoad and Overload: In 1990, Steinberg and Ritzmann considered that “stress
can be defined as an underload or overload of matter, energy or information input to, or
output from, a living system”.
Stress as Maintaining Equilibrium: in 1992, Humphrey found that “stress can be considered
as any factor, acting internally or externally that makes it difficult to adapt and that induces
increased effort on the part of the person to maintain a state of equilibrium both internally
and with the external environment”.
Stress as Challenges, in 1993, McEwen and Mendelson explained that “stress is a term for
certain types of experiences, as well as the body’s responses to such experiences. The term
generally refers to challenges, real or implied, to the homeostatic regulatory process of the
organism”.
Stress as Negative Emotion, in 1998, Roger described stress as a “pre-occupation with the
negative emotion following the event”.

4
2. Experiments conducted to understand Stress
Selye had noted in numerous experiments that laboratory animals subjected to acute but
different noxious physical and emotional stimuli (blaring light, deafening noise, extremes of
heat or cold, perpetual frustration) all exhibited the same pathologic changes of stomach
ulcerations, shrinkage of lymphoid tissue and enlargement of the adrenals. He later
demonstrated that persistent stress could cause these animals to develop various diseases
similar to those seen in humans, such as heart attacks, stroke, kidney disease and
rheumatoid arthritis. At the time, it was believed that most diseases were caused by specific
but different pathogens. Tuberculosis was due to the tubercle bacillus, anthrax by the
anthrax bacillus, syphilis by a spirochete, etc. What Selye proposed was just the opposite,
namely that many different insults could cause the same disease, not only in animals, but in
humans as well.
Selye’s theories attracted considerable attention and stress soon became a popular
buzzword that completely ignored Selye’s original definition. Some people used stress to
refer to an overbearing or bad boss or some other unpleasant situation they were subjected
to. For many, stress was their reaction to this in the form of chest pain, heartburn, headache
or palpitations. Others used stress to refer to what they perceived as the end result of these
repeated responses, such as an ulcer or heart attack. Many scientists complained about this
confusion and one physician concluded in a 1951 issue of the British Medical Journal that,
“Stress in addition to being itself, was also the cause of itself, and the result of itself.”
Stress was generally considered as being synonymous with distress and dictionaries defined
it as “physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension” or “a condition or feeling experienced
when a person perceives that demands exceed the personal and social resources the
individual is able to mobilize.” Thus, stress was put in a negative light and its positive effects
ignored. However, stress can be helpful and good when it motivates people to accomplish
more.
Stress can have both positive and negative effects.
“[Stress] can be mobilizing,” says Western professor of clinical psychology Leora Swartzman.
“It can give you a burst of energy."

5
As illustrated in the The Human Function curve, increased stress results in increased
productivity – up to a point, after which things go rapidly downhill. However, that point or
peak differs for each of us, so you need to be sensitive to the early warning symptoms and
signs that suggest a stress overload is starting to push you over the hump. Such signals also
differ for each of us and can be so subtle that they are often ignored until it is too late. Not
infrequently, others are aware that you may be headed for trouble before you are.
Any definition of stress should therefore also include good stress, or what Selye called
eustress. For example, winning a race or election can be just as stressful as losing, or more
so. A passionate kiss and contemplating what might follow is stressful, but hardly the same
as having a root canal procedure.
When an individual makes use of the energy that comes from such stress, it drives them
toward action. University students may be inclined to think stress is the enemy, but to a
certain point it can be the only thing keeping you afloat.
This positive side of stress unfortunately only exists to a certain point, after which the stress
becomes too much and starts to have a negative impact on your life.
The effects of negative stress, as Swartzman explains, can have serious health ramifications
if not dealt with in the long term.
Selye redefined stress as “The rate of wear and tear on the body”. This is actually a pretty
good description of biological aging so it is not surprising that increased stress can accelerate
many aspects of the aging process.
Stress is difficult to define because it is so different for each of us. A good example is
afforded by observing passengers on a steep roller coaster ride. Some are hunched down in
the back seats, eyes shut, jaws clenched and white knuckled with an iron grip on the
retaining bar. They can’t wait for the ride in the torture chamber to end so they can get back
on solid ground and scamper away. But up front are the wide-eyed thrill seekers, yelling and
relishing each steep plunge who race to get on the very next ride. And in between you may
find a few with an air of nonchalance that borders on boredom. So, was the roller coaster
ride stressful?
The roller coaster analogy is useful in explaining why the same stressor can differ so much
for each of us. What distinguished the passengers in the back from those up front was the
sense of control they had over the event. While neither group had any more or less control
their perceptions and expectations were quite different. Many times we create our own
stress because of faulty perceptions you can learn to correct. You can teach people to move
from the back of the roller coaster to the front, and, as Eleanor Roosevelt noted, nobody can
make you feel inferior without your consent. While everyone can’t agree on a definition of
stress, all of our experimental and clinical research confirms that the sense of having little or
no control is always distressful – and that’s what stress is all about.

6
3. Stress Generator and different types of Stress
Stress generator, in specialized terminology, is a stimulus, a trigger event that causes the
manifestation of stress. The positive or negative balances are the effects of these stressors
on the individual. There is internal, external, situational and development stress. To cope
with is the process of solving problems that an individual uses when faced with a stressful
event or situation.
Adaptation is also a complex process by which the body changes some parameters
depending on the environment in which it is located. These adjustments appear as results of
stress.
According to a study by NASA stressors can be integrated in sets of categories.

 Significant changes in their lives: This group of stress refers to any critical changes,
pleasant or unpleasant.
 Routine: Whether fighting with traffic or a deadline approaching, the body consumes
energy to exhaustion. While these activities are common causes of stress the
cumulative effect is often ignored.
 Unrealistic expectations of themselves: While the reasons for positive expectations
and directs energy to achieve goals, unrealistic expectations can lead to failure and
impairment of self-esteem and confidence.
 Interpersonal relationships: Maintain personal and professional relationship requires
effort. Communication deficiency can lead to frustration, hostility and open conflict.
Besides these categories, the study also proposed to NASA and other common types of
stressors, such as family problems, illness, financial problems, communication problems,
loss, addictions, time management and change management. Whether it is chronic stress,
fear, irritation or even abuse of various kinds on the body, everything is the result of stress.
Recent studies show that stress affects three broad categories of life: individual, organization
and society. Therefore, stress is individual, organizational and societal.

Stress Type Causes Effects Symptoms

Individual Impersonal and Insomnia, changes in diet Mental or physical illness,
Intrapersonal and behaviour, irritability irritability,
pressures, Poor aggressiveness, over-
Communication excitability, lack of
motivation, low self
esteem
organizational Increasing the Increase of illness related Sales drop, resignations, loss of
number of tasks customers and investors,
and responsibility domestic discontent
societal Economic status, Overall tense status, Increased pressure on state
unemployment, financial Instability, distrust public services, lack of social
immigration on state systems, programs , lack of jobs , social
scepticism conflicts

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4. Types of stress on the basis of intensity
Stress is the physical and psychological process of reacting to and coping with events or
situations that place extraordinary pressure upon a human being. Such events are usually
sudden and often involve physical or emotional loss, such as witnessing casualties or
destruction from combat or disasters or the serious injury or death of a relative, friend or
co-worker. Stress is a normal reaction to an abnormal situation and serves primarily the
function of self-preservation (protection) in a threatening situation, enabling one to:
concentrate full attention on a particular threat; mobilize maximum physical energy; and
prepare for action in order to respond to the threat. Peace-keepers are exposed regularly to
both minor and major incidents which can result in the build-up of stress. For the purpose of
this booklet, three types of stress are described, in the order of increasing intensity:

 Basic Stress
 Cumulative Stress
 Traumatic Stress

4.1 BASIC STRESS

Every individual experiences basic, minor stress in daily situations that may produce tension,
frustration, irritation, anger, etc. A person's vulnerability (reaction) is largely determined by
one's physical and psychological strength or weakness at these times, and thus the level of
stress will vary accordingly. For example, a person who is ill, has not had enough sleep, or
is troubled or worried, etc., is likely to react more readily and more intensely. Personal
attributes which may contribute to one's reaction to stress are:

 Past experiences;
 Education;
 Professional skills;
 Philosophical approach to life;
 Age; Level of physical fitness; and
 Personal self-esteem.

Stress consumes physical, cognitive and emotional energy. Although it is natural to suffer
some degree of stress in difficult situations, in order to avoid disruption of a person's ability
to function properly, both physically and mentally, stress should not be allowed to
accumulate to a point where it cannot be controlled.
When an individual consents to participate in a peacekeeping mission, he/she should be
aware that peacekeepers often encounter stressful situations, particularly if the mission is in
a conflict zone, and know basic steps to control the effects of such stress in his/her life.
How to Manage Basic Stress
Most stress can be managed. Determination and self-discipline are keys to finding the
source(s) of stress and coping with it before it has escalated to an uncontrollable level. As a

8
rule stress management plans will include learning to do some old tasks differently. Initially,
the effects of stress can likely be alleviated by simple, common-sense measures. Develop a
management and control strategy to help avoid potential distresses. The following
guidelines have been found to be effective in stress management strategy development:

 Identify sources of stress;

 Know personal limitations;
 Manage time well;
 Be assertive, but not aggressive;
 Accept creative challenges;
 Get enough sleep;
 Rest or conserve strength;
 Eat regularly;
 Control intake of alcohol, tobacco, etc.;
 Make time for relaxation and physical exercise;
 Develop satisfying friendships and relationships;
 Have a positive attitude;
 Have a sense of humour; laugh often, etc.

4.2 CUMULATIVE STRESS

Cumulative stress is the result of strain that occurs too often (FREQUENCY), lasts too long
(DURATION) and is too severe (INTENSITY). In these circumstances, distress leads to
exhaustion and other manifestations so that a person is unable to cope with the amount of
stress he/she is experiencing.
During a mission, peace-keepers are generally confronted with many daily frustrations,
related to work in a conflict zone. They are often expected to fulfil a seemingly impossible
mandate; to have circumspect conduct as representatives of the United Nations; to show
impartiality in difficult situations, which may mean having to stifle reactions, emotions and
activities that are natural as human beings; and to be able to negotiate unexpected and
intricate situations, sometimes with very little experience, where the outcome will impact
on the mission, the United Nations, and most important, the parties themselves. In spite of
loyal, and sometimes heroic, efforts, the peacekeeper may sense a lack of appreciation by
the victims and hostility on the part of the authorities.
He/she may be assigned to work with colleagues that are not personally or culturally
compatible and that may have varying degrees of peace-keeping experience, or no
experience at all. The peace-keeper may be placed in an immobile or inactive duty, such as
in a stand-by situation, for long periods of time. And, very importantly, the peace-keeper
may be exposed to singular and savage atrocities about which he/she can do nothing.
In addition, the peace-keeper may be challenged by minor, irritating strains related to
unfamiliar or unpleasant situations. For example, difficulties related to housing (privacy,
shortages of water, heat/cold, noise, etc.); travel (risks, threats, tedious controls at

9
checkpoints); food (shortages, diet, illness); unfamiliar language and culture, etc. The peace-
keeper may suffer the personal stress of being away from home, friends and loved ones,
and become lonely and vulnerable to the effects of permanent low-grade stress, or even to
acute traumatic stress. If cumulative stress is not cared for, it may lead to burn-out or flame-
out, which may precede other very serious stress disorders.
Burn-out:
Ongoing stress may result in burn-out, or professional and personal exhaustion. A person
suffering from burn-out will exhibit changed attitudes concerning his/her work, colleagues
and the victims he/she has witnessed. For example, a person suffering from burn-out will
either avoid work or, more often, become totally immersed in it and will exclude all other
aspects of life. Usually there are signs of depression, loss of self-confidence and/or self-
esteem, diffused sadness, guilt and grief.

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Flame-Out
In the case of a rapid onset burnout, particularly if the needs for periodic rest, proper food
and exercise are overlooked or ignored, the so-called flame-out phenomenon may result.
Usually this reaction to stress can be treated at once by instructing the person experiencing
flame-out to leave the scene temporarily, until he/she has regained control/composure.
Some symptoms of flame-out are:

 Intense fatigue, often associated with exhausting hyperactivity;

 Feelings of sadness, discouragement, depression; guilt, remorse; hopelessness;
 Failure to admit to a state of psychological exhaustion, and denial of any loss of
efficiency;
 Inability to objectively and accurately assess personal and professional performance;
 Physical signs of exhaustion may also be experienced, e.g. fatigue; headache; back
pain; and stomach ulcer (called stress ulcer).

How to Manage Cumulative Stress

Since cumulative stress develops over time, at some point it may be difficult to recognize
the signs of stress, which may become such a part of everyday life that it seems a natural
state. The temptation may be to deny that anything is wrong. Thus, it is important to listen
when others begin to say: take some time off; lighten up; don't work so hard; don't be so
serious; have some fun; etc.
Long periods of stress will ultimately affect every part of a peace-keeper's life, including
health. Whereas basic stress can often be alleviated by active or restful measures,
cumulative stress has become a “habit” which must be broken by making a conscious effort
to change the manner in which one reacts to stress and/or its source. This may necessitate
changing one's lifestyle, attitude(s), philosophy and expectations; for example:

 Take personal responsibility for stress, only you can accurately identify the areas of
stress in your life and do what is necessary to change it, or your reaction to it;
 Accept what cannot be changed - not every stressful situation can be changed;
 Understand the limits of high expectations and objectives (particularly, as a peace-
keeper);
 Avoid overwork; learn to delegate tasks and to leave some things undone until later;
 Be realistic about goals - one can only accomplish so much within a limited time-
frame;
 Take care of yourself so you can effectively take care of others;
 Exercise self-discipline in out-of-control situations, etc.

4.3 TRAUMATIC STRESS

Whereas cumulative stress increases over a period of time and at some point can be
recognized and arrested, traumatic stress is the result of a single, sudden and violent assault

11
which harms or threatens an individual or someone close to him or her, either physically or
psychologically. The following are examples of trauma which may be experienced in the
field:

 Being a powerless spectator of violence, murder, large-scale massacres, epidemics,

disasters or famines
 Hearing first-hand reports of ill-treatment and torture;
 Direct or indirect intimidations and threats;
 Bombing of buildings; mining of roads;
 Attacks on vehicles and convoys;
 Armed attacks and robberies;
 Witnessing large-scale material destruction.

The possibility that peace-keepers will encounter one or more of these traumatic situations
in a conflict zone is very high. The trauma, sometimes defined as critical incident stress, is
exacerbated because very often the peacekeeper is unable to assist or change the plight of
helpless victims. A peace-keeper may become completely stunned and overwhelmed after
undergoing a critical, traumatic incident. The result may be burn-out or flame-out, as
described above, or he/she may suffer more serious effects, such as shell-shock, which
makes it impossible to continue in the situation.
Although the range of emotional reactions to trauma is limited, such reactions may vary
from one individual to another. The time it takes for these reactions to appear, and their
severity, depends on the person's character and vulnerability at the time. The reaction(s)
may appear immediately, or after a few hours or days: this is acute stress disorder. Or the
reaction(s) may appear after a few months, or in rare cases, in a few years: this is post-
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD.

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5. Post -Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
If the above symptoms (reactions) persist for more than one month, they may lead to a
more serious condition known as Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD may be
compared to a wound that will not heal naturally. A person experiencing PTSD should seek
professional help from a specialist in psychotherapy who also has appropriate training in
debriefing techniques. An individual with PTSD may, after a period of well-being, experience
a delayed onset disorder which generally can be recognized by several criteria:

 Persistent re-experiencing of the traumatic event;

 Avoiding association with any stimulus that is a reminder of the trauma;
 Symptoms of exaggerated alertness or caution and
 Possibly inappropriate, or even violent, reactions to threatening situations.
How to Prevent Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
The following points are important and must be remembered:

 It is normal to suffer symptoms of extreme stress in the aftermath of a traumatic

incident;
 Don't be critical of yourself or think that you are weak;
 Don't imagine others will think badly, or less, of you;
 Don't suffer in silence; verbalizing emotions will help to work through the experience
and will help prevent more serious effects in the future;
 Ask for help, for yourself or for someone you know;
 Talk about the experience immediately with someone trustworthy, e.g., a nurse,
medical coordinator, head of delegation, someone trained in de-briefing techniques,
et al.;
 Be willing to listen to others who are in distress;
 Rest; Take time to recover;
 Accept a protective environment supplied by those who care.

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6. Self-Evaluation Test
To evaluate your present state of stress, answer the following ten questions by placing a tick
in the appropriate box and adding up the results, using assigned values.

Add up your total score: Under15- your state of stress is in a normal range, as a peace-
keeper. From 15 to 25 - you are suffering above normal stress, and should take measures to
decrease the amount of pressure you are under. From 26 to 30 - you are under severe stress
and should ask for help from someone close to you, or from a professional.

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GUIDELINES FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT
This pamphlet, although not a comprehensive manual on stress management, has outlined a
number of general guidelines for United Nations peace-keepers on how to handle various
phases of stress. The following is a review of the key points that need to be remembered by
peacekeepers experiencing stress.
1) Anyone who undergoes an acute traumatic experience, or is at the scene of a disaster,
undergoes change. The best scenario is that your personality will be strengthened and
enhanced; the worst scenario is that you will experience stress that you cannot deal with
apart from professional help.
2) The various emotions you feel during or after a traumatic incident, e.g., cumulative
stress, traumatic stress, or a depressive reaction to a disaster, are perfectly normal
responses to an abnormal event.
3) These emotional reactions should be understood as psychological wounds. As with all
wounds, you should:
Identify the injury (identify what is causing the stress);
Give immediate first aid on the spot (talk about what you have experienced);
Provide treatment for yourself, without waiting for a specialist (take personal initiative to
reduce the level of stress you are experiencing - using what you know about stress and your
present situation);
Monitor the healing process (know when the level of stress has diminished);
4) Patient, sympathetic listening is the most important type of assistance for a psychological
wound. This is beneficial, even though it takes time. Two hours of listening may prevent
months of problems for the victim of a traumatic experience.
5) A person who has overcome a traumatic experience must learn to talk about the event
and all the emotions felt at the time, with those closest to him/her, or with a trained
professional.
6) The best form of preparation for a traumatic event is to be aware of the emotional
reactions (including stress) that may occur in a conflict zone. Sharing, assistance, empathy
and listening constitute caring, and are integral to working with other peacekeepers in a
peace-keeping mission. These attributes are needed in order to cope with the stressful
reactions that threaten all peace-keepers in the field.

15
7. Models of Stress Management
It is quite complicated to recognize all possible models of stress management, because the
way how stress effects on each of us is very unique, as well as our reaction on it. We can
specify the models not only personally, but by gender, age, type of work and by other
factors. However two main models can be marked out: Transactional and Health Realization
Models.

7.1 Transactional Model

Richard Lazarus and Susan Folkman were among the first who presented Transactional
Model of stress Management. In 1984 the model was described as follows: ―Stress can be
thought of as resulting from an imbalance between demands and resources or as occurring
when pressure exceeds one's perceived ability to cope‖.
In other words stress in transactional model is not about straight response to stressor, but
about dependence of available human resources and factors which develop them in order
to control her or his reaction on stress. The model is based on evaluating the stressor and
own ability to use own resources to cope with it.

7.2 Health-Realization Model

Health-Realization Model explains the level of stress reaction as the result of mental
thinking of a person, using such definitions as ―quite mind‖, ―inner wisdom‖ and
―common sense‖. The more person knows about stressor, how to avoid stressful situation,
or how to relax, the less negatively stress effects on person. Stress can even be avoided, if
person has enough knowledge about of particular subject or if person develops inner
spiritual world, because such factors ―build defences‖ from most of stressors. ―This model
proposes that helping stressed individuals understand the nature of thought— especially

16
providing them with the ability to recognize when they are in the grip of insecure thinking,
disengage from it and access natural positive feelings—will reduce their stress‖.

7.3 Stimulus Based Models

In these models the stress is interpreted as a stimulus, a life event or a group circumstances
which may awakens normal and / or psychological reactions, which may increase the
vulnerability of the individual to disease. According to Holmes, there are 43 life events or
lifestyle changes, which can cause stress .According to this theory, both positive and
negative life events are considered stressful. The scale of stressful life events is used to
record the recent stressful experience of the individual, such as divorce, pregnancy,
retirement. Ever since similar scales have been developed, however they should be used
with caution, since the extent of stress, which is embodied to life events depends on the
way in which is interpreted by the individual. Moreover, those scales must have been
validated in the age and in the socioeconomic status, in addition they must have been
cultural adapted.

17
7.4 Response Based Models
In those theoretical models, stress is interpreted as a response. The definition of stress as a
response was developed and described by Selye, who defined stress as a nonspecific
response of the body to any kind demands applied on it. Selye’s model is called General
Adaptation Syndrome (GAS). Selyein order to differentiate the cause of stress from the
response to this introduced the term ¨ stressor¨ naming so any factor can cause stress and
affect the balance of the individual .Selye mentions, due the fact that stress is a state of the
body, it can only observed within the changes occurring in it. This full body response general
adaptation syndrome, (GAS) is manifested by releasing certain hormones, which resulted is
changes in the structure and chemical composition of the body. Apart from the adaption of
the whole body, it is possible a portion reaction of the body or of an organ to take place.
This response to stress is called local adaptation syndrome – LAS
.

7.5 General Adaptation Theory

Introduction
Hans Selye (1907- 1982) was a Hungarian endocrinologist, first to give a scientific
explanation for biological stress.
Hans Selye explained his stress model based on physiology and psychobiology as General
Adaptation Syndrome (GAS).

18
His model states that an event that threatens an organism’s well-being (a stressor) leads to
a three-stage bodily response:
Stage 1: Alarm
Stage 2: Resistance
Stage 3: Exhaustion
He explained about hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) system which prepares
the body to cope with stress.
Selye also explained about a local adaptation syndrome which refers to the inflammatory
response and repair processes occur at the local site of tissue injury as in small, topical
injuries, such as contact dermatitis which may lead to GAS if the local injury is severe
enough.
Stages
Stage 1: Alarm
Upon encountering a stressor, body reacts with “fight-or-flight” response and sympathetic
nervous system is activated.
Hormones such as cortisol and adrenalin released into the bloodstream to meet the threat
or danger.
The body’s resources now mobilized.
Stage 2: Resistance
Parasympathetic nervous system returns many physiological functions to normal levels
while body focuses resources against the stressor.
Blood glucose levels remain high, cortisol and adrenalin continue to circulate at elevated
levels, but outward appearance of organism seems normal.
Increase HR, BP, breathing
Body remains on red alert.
Stage 3: Exhaustion
If stressor continues beyond body’s capacity, organism exhausts resources and becomes
susceptible to disease and death.
Terminology
Stress: is a condition in which the human system responds to changes in its normal balanced
state.
Stressor: is anything that is perceived as challenging, threatening or demanding.

19
Eustress or positive stress: Manageable stress which can lead to growth and enhanced
competence.
Distress or Negative stress: Uncontrollable, prolonged, or overwhelming stress is
destructive.
Adaptation: is the change that takes place as a result of the response to a stressor.
Coping: a balancing act between biological, psychological, and social process.
Adaptive Coping Contribute to resolution of the stress response
Maladaptive Coping –Strategies that cause further problems
Active Coping – Actively seeking resolution to the stress
Homeostasis: refers to a steady state within the body and various physiologic mechanisms
within the body respond to internal changes to maintain a relative constancy in the internal
environment.
Resilience: Resistant quality that permits a person to recovery quickly and thrive in spite of
adversity

20
8. Types of interventions for Workplace
Primary, secondary and tertiary targets and interventions for workplace health
Most interventions implemented in the workplace adopt a primary or secondary disease
prevention approach that aims to reduce health risks.
Primary prevention the main objective is to improve the health status of the whole
population, regardless of individual risks.
Secondary and tertiary prevention interventions aims to work with exposed individuals in
order to reduce or reverse the negative consequences of a disease, in a worksite. Secondary
interventions reduce return-to-work time.

Layer Target Examples of interventions

Primary Employed populations that are Programs that encourage
generally healthy. exercise fitness and healthy
eating Weight Management
Stress management Use of
safety belts in cars; Moderate
alcohol Consumption
Recommended adult
immunizations and safe sex.
Secondary Individuals already at high risk because Hypertension screenings and
of certain lifestyle practices (e.g. management programs;
smoking, being sedentary, having poor smoking cessation telephone
nutrition, practicing unsafe sex, quit lines; weight loss classes;
consuming excessive amounts of and reduction or elimination of
alcohol, and experiencing high stress) financial barriers to obtaining
or abnormal biometric values (e.g. high Prescribed lipid-lowering
blood glucose, over-weight). medications.
Tertiary Disease management of individuals Return to work interventions
with existing ailments e.g. diabetes, specialist targeted services
cardiovascular disease, cancer, within the workplace.
musculoskeletal disorders, depression.

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9. Steps for interventions Process
It considers mental health, occupational stress, and workplace well-being by examining the
existing evidence for interventions in these areas. It also considers related health promotion
strategies and the particular challenges posed for the retail and construction sectors in this
area.
The second part of the review considers interventions focussed on physical health
promotion. This section examines the evidence base around programmes focussed on
nutrition, physical activity and smoking cessation in the workplace and additionally
highlights research evidence from the construction industry.
The third part of the review examines evidence relating to interventions concerned with
physical health and health and safety in the workplace
The last part steps that can be taken within an organisational context to mutually support
employees and benefit employers
Examples of interventions that have been claimed to improve employee health and increase
workplace well-being include:

 gym access
 fitness at work,
 stress management,
 smoking cessation,
 back care,
 weight reduction/nutrition programs and
 Medication for chronic conditions.
Mental health promotion interventions in the workplace:
The evidence base for interventions is on the whole inconclusive. Martin et al. (2009)
conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis into the effects of health promotion
interventions in the workplace on depression and anxiety symptoms. The analysis found
small, but positive overall effects for symptoms of depression and anxiety in the
interventions reviewed: “the interventions with a direct focus on mental health had a
similar beneficial effect on symptoms as those with an indirect focus on risk factors” (Martin
et al., 2009:14). This led Martin et al. to conclude that in order to reduce depression and
anxiety symptoms “a broad range of interventions using health promotion in the workplace
appears to be effective in that those focused directly on symptoms show similar results to
those that reduce symptoms indirectly by focusing on risk factors” (Martin et al., 2009: 15).
This is perhaps unsurprising as effect size would only be large if the stress of work was the
only causal factor, but research indicates that there is a complex interplay between job
stress and other factors.
Research has assessed the effectiveness of some specific mental and physical health
promotion programmes classified as Employee Assistance Programs (EAP’s) or Health
Promotion Programs (HPP’s). EAP’s are workplace programs in which employees receive

22
short term counselling for issues such as alcohol, drugs, or other personal, behavioural or
family problems. Workplace HPP’s on the other hand traditionally offer educational,
organisational or behavioural interventions that aim to support the development and
maintenance of health related behaviours conducive to the well-being of the overall
workforce. These include programs such as stress management; fitness; health information
and assistance; and in some cases provide supervised day care for children. The premise
behind these two approaches is that they improve health and this reduces absenteeism and
costs.
A study undertaken by Macdonald et al. (2006) that targeted Human Resource managers in
worksites with 100 or more employees in Canada found that “overall, Canadian worksites
favour a health promotion and treatment approach over a deterrence approach for
addressing health and substance use issues in the workplace”.
Reasons for health promotion plans to be delivered within workplace settings

 Organisational infrastructure reduces cost and makes it easier to develop and co-
ordinate programs
 Having a large ‘captive’ population or easily accessible target group
 Health gap and inequality between ‘blue collar’ and ‘white collar’ workers

Human rights and justice issues including the need to address workplace well-being if:
(1) Mental disorders decrease the proportion of the population who are not in the labour
force,
(2) Mental disorders decrease the employment opportunities for people who would like to
work,
(3) Mental disorders affect the ability of workers
Economic arguments including decreased productivity or work performance; reduction of
persons in the labour force through absenteeism or unemployment or early retirement;
elevated indirect costs through sickness and disability:

 Compensable disorders/lawsuits or risk and safety issues

 Increased employee morale/job satisfaction/better corporate image
 Increased vulnerability to mental health problems without support
 Spill over effects on co-workers and supervisors and/or families
Insurance and health related direct costs to employers (US; Canada – this is often related to
the structure of the health care system)
Cotton and Hart state that “research has shown that it is a person’s level of energy,
enthusiasm and pride that more strongly influences their decision to take time off work,
rather than the level of distress they may be experiencing”

23
10. Levels of Intervention

Level Focus of intervention or tool on

Individual level Diet; exercise; cognitive techniques; relaxation
training.
Team level Supervisory training; team building; sensitivity training
focusing on issues including racism and sexism etc.
Structural or organisation level Modification of work time/shift patters Reducing
physical hazards Improving career ladders Modifying
the use of training and technology job rotation
Enrichment and empowerment.

Faragher et al. (2005) states “job satisfaction was much more strongly associated with
mental/psychological problems than with physical complaints” and very closely allied with
burnout. It also correlated but slightly less strongly with depression, anxiety, self-esteem,
general mental health issues.

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11. Workplace stress and poor mental health among ‘blue collar’
workers in construction
Construction professionals are subjected to a plethora of occupational demands that can
have a negative effect on their psychological well-being. Such demands can have an adverse
influence on individual and organizational performance. Those working for a contracting
organization on-site reported higher levels of poor mental health and greater work stress
than consultants. Those working on-site also experienced greater levels of self-stress,
whereas consultants reported higher levels of self and work support. Work support was a
significant predictor of poor mental health for consultants. Good health, however, was
predicted by self, situational, and work support, whereas those working for a contractor
only self-support predicated good mental health. It is concluded that while supports are
essential in the fostering of good mental health, the absence of these supports can have a
significant impact on poor mental health. Several studies and analysis were done by
researchers on this predicament of Blue collar workers different fields. Some of the findings
by few prominent researchers are tabulated below. :-

Author, Industry Causes of Stress Manifestations of

and Location
Love and Edwards High job demand; low levels of job control;
(2005) work overload; long working hours; role
Construction ambiguity and conflict; the diverse range of
UK personalities encountered in the project
environment; poor communication; limited
resources; insufficient time spent in the
family/home environment; financial
pressures
Du Plessis et al. (2013) Competitive tendering in construction;
‘Blue collar’ workers under-resourcing; unrealistic timeframes for
and construction procurement and construction; embedded
Australia structural frameworks with expectations for
long work hours; living and working away
from home; weekend work and/or irregular
work; development of subcultures with codes
of conduct developing ideas around
masculinity and stoicism that prevent help
seeking behaviours and promotes poor diet,
smoking and alcohol consumption.
stress/potential consequences
Drug abuse; sexual
difficulties; insomnia;
nightmares; relationship
problems; alcoholism.
Ability to maintain healthy work
life balance and relationships;
poor health outcomes; higher
rates of disability, chronic disease
and mortality; poor diet; alcohol
misuse; heavy smoking; self-
reported tiredness, headaches,
low energy; increased workplace
accidents; stress; burnout; and
low productivity.

Love et al., (2010) Work overload; role ambiguity and conflict; Stress and poor mental
Construction unpaid overtime; restrictive career health (N.B. did not
managers progression; the diverse range of explore other factors as
Australia personalities encountered in their work research had specific
environment; travel; changing technology; focus).
redundancy; client demands; limited
resources; financial pressures; budget
constraints; and solving trivial but pressing
and irksome problems.

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Together this evidence suggests that interventions need to be focussed at the individual
level to support well-being but also need to impact on the environmental conditions in
which a person is working. In line with this, Love et al. (2010) state that while self and social
stress were contributors to poor mental health, “the presence of work supports may be an
important factor in preventing stress” and that “social and work supports may have a
preventative role in stress conditions arising from the workplace by actively promoting
good mental health” (Love et al., 2010: 657).
It is important to learn healthy ways of coping with job related stress. From learning how to
meditate to using humour to relieve stress, finding a technique that you enjoy and works for
you will make you happier and healthier. Popular techniques include deep breathing
techniques, listening to Relaxing Music, Aromatherapy, Meditation, Massage, Stretching,
Progressive muscle relaxation, Exercise, Taking a walk and Visualization. To handle stress
among blue collar workers is, first of all, a question of how to get rid of stress provoking
factors in work and to change the work so that the workers can develop a feeling of pride.
Good support and broader competence will help the assembly-line workers to develop a
feeling of confidence and self-esteem. It is important for managers to realize that work
enrichment, work enlargement, broadening of competence for flexibility and team work are
very important factors in a person's working life. In extreme situations, assembly-line
workers perform only what the supervisor tells them to do. Sometimes the expression
"trained to be helpless" is used. It is natural that some workers will oppose innovations,
feeling the innovations are a threat to their traditional positions. Often these changes will
mean a very big difference to their lives. They are anxious about what this will mean for
them. This provokes negative stress. In a modern enterprise, workers are given much
responsibility. Although it can be stressful to be expected to make one's own decisions, with
training and support, responsibility can be a welcome challenge and stimulate positive
stress. It is well-worth motivating workers to improve their capabilities. Workers will not
oppose change if they understand the necessity for it and if the change is not forced upon
them from management. Managers must have patience. They must motivate, listen and
accept mistakes. They must put their own solutions on hold and sometimes wait for the
workers to make their own suggestions. They must try to involve everyone and convince all
parties of the necessity of cooperating. From the very start it is important to fix the
overarching goals. It has to be clear to everyone that development of competence, flexibility
and cooperation in team work is essential, not only for individual members, but as a pre-
condition for fast adjustment to customer demands and a cornerstone to the company's
survival. It is also important to emphasize that almost every factor that has a positive
influence on stress will, at the same time, improve productivity.

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12. Workplace stress and poor mental health among ‘blue collar’
workers in Retail Industry
When we consider which occupations pose a risk to employee health, retail positions don’t
ordinarily come to mind. However, the OSHA category that includes retail workers suffers
the second-highest number of on-the-job injuries and fatalities of all industry sectors.
Fatalities in retail work are almost exclusively the result of assaults and violent acts,
according to a report by the Centre’s for Disease Control. Hazards leading to injury include
long periods of standing, heavy and awkward lifting, falling from ladders, problems from
indoor air quality, and repetitive manual tasks.
Only one study (Wilson et al., 2004) was identified that specifically explored workplace well-
being in the retail industry. This was a study from the US where 1130 questionnaires were
completed by employees of a national retailer. The research examined the views of
employees in relation to the impact of organisational characteristics on their health and
well-being. Wilson et al. (2004:582) found that “work characteristics influence psychological
work adjustment factors that ultimately affect employee health and well-being”. The study
also found evidence to support the “fundamental role organisational climate plays in the
effectiveness of an organisation” (Wilson et al., 2004: 582). This study aids understanding of
the importance of the role of organisation and environmental factors in determining the
well-being of the workforce. However, the study does not report on successful interventions
to support workplace well-being in the retail sphere.
Fortunately, you can address the hazards your workers face with a variety of
straightforward adjustments. Provide a safer workplace with the top five health-related HR
policies for retail stores:

Stools and cushioned mats

Standing for long hours can result in swollen legs, back aches, joint damage, varicose veins,
high blood pressure, and foot deformities. The best solution is to let employees sit on stools
while they work. If this is impossible, cushioned floor mats can ease discomfort and reduce
the incidence of foot problems.
Ergonomic lifting instructions
Many retail positions require employees to lift and move heavy objects. While back braces
are often thought to reduce the risk of injuries, the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health reminds employers that scientific evidence does not support this. Your
workers will be far safer if you fully instruct them on safe ergonomic lifting techniques.
Security planning
Employees who work alone, especially at night, are vulnerable to violent assault. You can
help keep your workers safe by training them to recognize and respond to workplace
threats. Physical security measures include pairing workers when possible, ensuring their
easy access to a phone, and removing large amounts of cash from registers during night
shifts.

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Enforce breaks
Employees’ productivity and well-being will suffer if they work straight through lunch,
breaks, and vacation days. Insist that all staff members take their allotted time off and that
working excess hours will not be viewed positively at evaluation time. Ensure that store
managers are trained to enforce all required breaks.
Encourage healthy snacking
Snack plates of fresh vegetables and low-calorie dip can be provided for those times of the
day when employees usually grab a fast-fix snack. A working fridge and microwave in the
staff room will encourage employees to bring lunches from home rather than relying on
unhealthy fast food. Employee engagement depends on many factors, but addressing basic
health and wellness issues is essential for adequately engaging your staff and creating a
positive, safe workplace for all.
Traditionally, policy and practice in relation to mental health in the workplace has lagged
behind that in occupational health and safety however, developments in this area are
beginning to catch up. Whilst there is evidence to support the need to intervene to support
mental health and well-being in a workplace setting, less is known about the effectiveness
of interventions, particularly in construction and retail. There is also a poorly understood
distinction between managing mental health in the workplace, and workplace well-being
more widely. This is largely because the impact of work-related and non-work-related
factors are difficult to differentiate. Hence, there is a need for a holistic approach when
developing workplace interventions.
The majority of the evidence to date focuses on the relationships between workplace stress,
mental health and well-being on the one hand and economic costs usually in terms of
productivity related losses, on the other. The evaluations that do exist are mostly single case
studies within one organisation conducted as a cost-benefit analysis and there has been
some speculation about potential biases in such cases. There are also some interesting small
scale projects. For example work on promoting resilience in the workplace in the context of
adolescent focused school based CBT combined with an interpersonal skills approach. Grant
et al. (2009) have also conducted an RCT looking at the role of coaching in enhancing goal
attainment, resilience, and workplace well-being. Their study found short term coaching
could be effective and evidence based executive coaching can be valuable in helping people
deal with the uncertainty and challenges inherent in organisational change. However, this
study was undertaken in quite specific conditions with a specific sub-set of senior
employees. These studies are an indication of a promising line of investigation, however
they lack robust evaluation.
In addition, whilst existing research suggests that retail and construction are particularly
high risk industries, the evidence base is limited and does not provide support for particular
interventions. A multi-level approach with interventions at an organisational, team and
individual level, maybe the most effective in facilitating workplace. However, as
LaMontagne et al. put it, “integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary intervention –
necessary for the full realisation of a systems approach – seems to be rare in current
practice. This disconnect between tertiary-level and other intervention research and
practice at the organisational level represents unrealised preventive potential”
(LaMontagne, et al., 2007: 225). There is also indication that targeted individual support
works best alongside a more general workplace well-being emphasis. Increased attention

28
(both in the UK and internationally) to mental health and well-being has resulted in greater
responsibility for intervening being placed within workplace settings. In this context there is
a corresponding need for evaluation of workplace interventions in order to build shared
knowledge about good practice in general and in specific sectors.

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13. Health promotion at work: Nutrition, physical activity
and smoking cessation

Introduction
The enormous human and economic costs associated with occupational stress suggest that
initiatives designed to prevent and/or reduce employee stress should be high on the agenda
of workplace health promotion (WHP) programmes. Although employee stress is often the
target of WHP, reviews of job stress interventions suggest that the common approach to
combating job stress is to focus on the individual without due consideration of the direct
impacts of working conditions on health as well as the effects of working conditions on
employees' ability to adopt and sustain ‘healthy’ behaviours. Interventions to promote
health and reduce health risk at the workplace focus on improved nutrition, higher levels of
physical activity at work and smoking cessation.
A large number of interventions aiming to raise physical activity, improve nutrition and
reduce smoking are reported in the literature. A common purpose is to improve quality of
life and the productivity of workers and to reduce future health care cost associated with
cardiovascular or non-transmittable diseases. However, evidence relating to the
effectiveness of interventions in these areas is mostly inconclusive, and in many cases, there
are no significant changes for example in relation to eating habits, levels of physical activity
or other specific measurements such as Body Mass Index or blood pressure (Dugdill et al.,
2008).

How Does Stress Impact Nutrition?

Between work, family and other obligations, stress is a common part of life. But while it's
something we all deal with from time to time, stress can have a negative impact on our
health. Worry and overwork can lead to unhealthy lifestyle habits, which causes more
stress, leading to a very harmful cycle. For example, if we are facing a very tight deadline at
work, we might make poor choices about what to eat, relying on sugar and caffeine to get
us through the day.
Unfortunately, these food choices can create more stress in the long run, as well as other
problems.
Here is the list of few Stress-Induced Habits
 Drinking Too Much Coffee: When burning the candle at both ends, we may find our
self-drinking several cups of coffee through the day to keep us going.
 Eating the Wrong Foods: Due partially to increase levels of cortisol, the stress
hormone, stressed people tend to crave foods high in fat, sugar, and salt. Many will
turn to potato chips, ice cream or other junk foods after a rough day.
 Skipping Meals: When we are juggling a dozen things at once, eating a healthy meal
often drops down in priorities. We might find yourself skipping breakfast because
we're running late or not eating lunch because there's just too much on our to-do
list.

30
  Mindless Munching: Conversely, stress also makes us prone to emotional eating,
where we eat despite not being hungry but eat because it feels comforting.
 Forgetting Water: With busy lives, it’s easy to forget to drink water, In fact, a good
portion of people drink no water and get water only from soda or coffee.
 Fast Food: People these days eat at home less than in generations past, as it’s easier
to just drive through a fast food place or go to a restaurant than to go home and
cook something. Unfortunately, this gets expensive and is often unhealthy.
 Crash Diets: Because of weight gain from stress, some people intentionally eat less
food than they need, or try dangerous fad diets in order to lose the excess weight.
Diets that aren’t balanced with fruits and vegetables, protein and healthy
carbohydrates can often be bad for our health in the long run, even if they look
attractive short term.
Due to the poor choices we made above, the Impact of Bad Habits on our Health can be
 Blood Sugar Imbalances: When we don’t eat enough food or don’t eat food with
necessary nutrients, we can experience blood sugar fluctuations. These fluctuations
can lead to mood swings, fatigue, poor concentration and other negative
consequences in the short term, and greater health problems like hyperglycemia in
the long run.
 Caffeine Side Effects: Too much caffeine can lead to poor concentration, lower levels
of productivity, sleep disturbances and increased levels of cortisol in the blood, as
well as other negative effects.
 Poor Health Outcomes: Poor nutrition can also lead to lowered immunity so we’re
more susceptible to illnesses, both minor and major.
There are several things we can do to make healthy food choices, no matter how packed our
schedule may be.

How to Combat Stress with Good Nutrition?

 Eat Breakfast: Skipping breakfast makes it harder to maintain stable blood sugar
levels and effective functioning during your busy morning, we need it.

 Opt For Green Tea: A relatively easy and healthy way to reduce our stress levels and
improve our mental performance throughout the day is to replace coffee with
decaffeinated green tea, which has a soothing taste and the added benefit of loads
of antioxidants.

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  Try Sparkling Juice or Perrier: A cola drinker, probably experiencing the same health
consequences from caffeine that coffee drinkers experience. A more healthful
alternative is sparkling fruit juice, or sparkling water.

 Carry a Snack: Having some protein-rich, healthful snacks in car, office, or purse can
help in avoiding blood sugar level dips and accompanying mood swings and fatigue.
Trail mix, granola bars, and certain energy bars all contain good nutrition.

 Healthy Munches: People have a pattern of snacking at certain times in the day or
week, they can replace chips, cheese puffs and other less-healthy munchies with
carrot sticks, edamame, celery sticks, sunflower seeds or other more healthy
choices.

 No Caffeine after 2pm: Since caffeine has a half-life in our body of at least 6 hours,
caffeine we ingest with dinner can interfere with our sleep at night.

 Banish the Bad Stuff: It’s easier to avoid sugary, fatty, and otherwise unhealthy
foods if they’re not in our home, practically begging us to eat them! This may sound
like a no-brainer but we should go through our kitchen and throw out anything our
body can’t use in a healthy way. That way we’ll be forced to snack on healthy food
when we’re stressed.

 Tension Tamers: Adopting stress reducing techniques should also reduce our stress-
induced cravings for unhealthy or excessive food. Recommendations are yoga,
martial arts, journaling, laughter and PMR.

Being physical active at work, helps to beat stress.

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Stress is more than just a feeling or emotion; it is a physiological response to an external
stimulus. When we feel stressed, the endocrine system begins to release stress hormones,
such as adrenaline. Heart rate and blood pressure will begin to elevate and blood flow will
begin to move to the musculature. Cortisol, another stress hormone, is also released.
Cortisol stimulates blood sugar release from glucose and glycogen stores within the body.
Most individuals understand the burden of occupational stress. Whether working a part
time job or a full-time salaried position, there is an inherent level of distress that is dealt
with on a daily basis.
There's good news when it comes to exercise and stress. Virtually any form of exercise, from
aerobics to yoga, can act as a stress reliever. If we're not an athlete or even if we're out of
shape, we can still make a little exercise go a long way toward stress management.
Exercise increases our overall health and our sense of well-being, which puts more pep in
our step every day. But exercise also has some direct stress-busting benefits.
 It pumps up your endorphins: Physical activity helps bump up the production of our
brain's feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins. Although this function is
often referred to as a runner's high, a rousing game of tennis or a nature hike also
can contribute to this same feeling.
 It's meditation in motion: After a fast-paced game of racquetball or several laps in
the pool, we'll often find that we’ve forgotten the day's irritations and concentrated
only on our body's movements. As we begin to regularly shed your daily tensions
through movement and physical activity, we may find that this focus on a single task,
and the resulting energy and optimism, can help us remain calm and clear in
everything we do.
 It improves our mood: Regular exercise can increase self-confidence, it can relax us,
and it can lower the symptoms associated with mild depression and anxiety. Exercise
can also improve our sleep, which is often disrupted by stress, depression and
anxiety. All of these exercise benefits can ease our stress levels and give us a sense
of command over our body and our life.

33
Here is small exercise pattern which can help to beat stress at workstation.

34
14. Smoking and stress:
Some people smoke when they feel stressed. They use smoking as a way to cope. There are
many problems with using cigarettes as a way to cope with stress or other unpleasant
feelings. Like most people, we also associate all of these feelings with smoking, but
stress/anger probably stands out as number one smoking trigger. When stressed, the urge
to smoke can be intense. As smokers, we think we need cigarettes to calm us. But in fact,
smoking creates more stress than it dispels.
 Smoking isn’t a long-term stress reliever. In the
time it takes to smoke a cigarette, something
else can be done that’s more effective, like a
short walk or a relaxation exercise.

 Smoking doesn’t solve the problem that’s giving

stress.

 Nicotine addiction causes stress. Cravings for

nicotine become stressful because body begins
to go through withdrawal.

Learning how to cope with stress without a cigarette is difficult when one first quit smoking.

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15. HSE Culture And Policies
How vigilant a company is in promoting and implementing its HSE (Health, Safety and
Environment) policies is evident from the culture of the organisation. Building a positive HSE
culture consists of below steps:

Managing Co-operating
• Develop • Engage all • Develop
Management • Delegate staff • Reward consistency
Commitment responsibility compliance
to staff
Continually
Emerging Involving
improving

Process to positive develop positive HSE culture

It is understood that all hazards must be removed from workplace for a safe environment.
The approach most commonly used is referred to as the hierarchy of controls, from
preferred to least desirable, as follows:
(a) Elimination
(b) Substitution
(c) Engineering controls
(d) Administrative (procedural) controls
(e) Personal protective equipment (PPE)

Following the above principles in case of a noisy machine:

 The first prerogative should be to design it to minimise noise.
 If still hazardous, it can be replaced by another machine.
 Some controls may be placed on its noise and vibration.
 If still problematic, a regulation can be issued that workers ought to work in shifts on
that machine.
 Finally, earplugs can be used by worker when working on the machine.

Additionally, materials used to construct machine, operating positions of the machine,

seating (if machine permits a sitting operating position) provided on the machine, method
of handling the machine & lighting of the premises must all be controlled to allow safe
usage of machine.

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Other workplace safety hazards
In addition to hazards from machines, the threat of extreme climate (humidity, temperature),
fire, explosion, noise, vibration, electric shock, laser radiation, nuclear radiation & hazardous
substances should be eliminated. Risk of slipping, tripping or falling should be avoided by
maintaining a clean workplace. Wherever appropriate, machinery, work areas shall be marked
for danger or warning to symbolise the need to be careful. It is very important to organize the
tools every time they are used.
Below is the 5S technique frequently used to keep the workplace orderly.

5S technique to organize workplace

Information and marking

The information needed to control machinery should be provided in a form that is unambiguous
and easily understood. It should not be excessive to the extent of overloading the worker. Visual
display units or any other interactive means of communication between worker and machinery
should be easily understood and easy to use. Where the safety and health of workers may be
endangered by a fault in the operation of unsupervised machinery, the machinery should be
equipped in such a way as to emit an appropriate acoustic or visual signal as a warning. Where
machinery is equipped with warning devices, these should be unambiguous and easily perceived.
The worker should have facilities to check the operation of such warning devices at all times. The
requirements of the specific national or international standards concerning colours and safety
and health signals should be complied with. Where residual risks remain, the necessary
warnings, including warning devices, should be provided.

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Lifting operations
Machinery should be suitable for the intended lifting operation (with regard to load, reach,
environment and ground conditions). Non-routine lifting operations should be specially planned
taking into account the need for effective communications and possible interaction with other
work taking place. Access to dangerous areas, such as areas underneath suspended loads,
should be prevented. Operators and slingers/riggers should be trained and competent in both
the use of the machinery and the planned lifting operation in accordance with national law and
practice. All lifting machinery and accessories should be tested and provided with a certificate
showing their safe working load and should be marked with their safe working load or have a
safe load indicator, as appropriate, in accordance with national law and practice. All lifting
machinery and accessories should be maintained, inspected and tested at appropriate intervals
by competent staff, in accordance with national law and practice. Any repairs to load carrying
elements or control systems should be carried out only by competent persons and in keeping
with the manufacturer’s instructions, in accordance with national law and practice. Means
should be provided to ensure correct deployment of safety devices, such as interlocks on
outriggers/stabilizers and landing doors on lifts and hoists. Loads should be stable and secure
and loss of power should not result in dangerous movement of lifting components or loss of the
load. The machinery should be designed to be stable in use and to prevent dangerous operation,
for example through the use of load control equipment or overload warnings. Where national
law and practice require it, cranes working in the vicinity of overhead power lines and other
structures should be fitted with proximity devices.

Recording & Documentation

Employers should consider creating documented work methods for machinery identified as
high risk following the risk assessment. This could include, but should not be limited to:
 Safe Operating Procedures (SOPs)
 Job Safety Analysis (JSA)
 Safe Work Method Statements (SWMSs)
 Work Instruction (WI).

These can be used for training, competency assessment, quality and skill development purposes.

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16. Example of interventions in Indian scenario

In today's economic scenario, we can no longer overlook our or society’s wellness since it is
pivotal to individual success and as a whole society success. However the pace of life and
the demands of work can often deter us from taking up activities for improving health and
for the wellness of society. If the concept of improving health and wellness is coupled with
improving companionship and this can lead to contributing to a social cause.
Objectives

 To encourage you to commit to your own fitness.

 To create an environment of fun and competitiveness hence creating bonding and
positive energies.
 To create a culture of fitness by helping to build a fraternity of fitness conscious
employees
 To encourage you to contribute financially towards social causes.

Below are some of the measures taken by TCS in order to improve employee’s health and
society wellness .

 TCS is an equal opportunity employer, and subscribes to the Tata Code of Conduct in
embracing diversity in race, nationality, religion, ancestry, marital status, gender,
age, ethnic origin, physical ability, and sexual orientation that’s why TCS is one of the
MNC with maximum number of women employees.
 Progressive policies such as extended parental leave, a mentoring program for junior
women employees, special leadership development programs for senior employees,
a virtual support group on child psychology, and parenting workshops for working
parents have gone toward making the workplace more employee-friendly.
 TCS also runs multiple initiatives to help employees grow in their careers, such as
Career Hub, a platform that provides them with mentoring services.
 TCS follows both the Tata Group Safety Policy and its Occupational Health and Safety
(OHS) Policy to ensure the well-being of its employees.
 Focus on fire safety; ergonomics; work environment management; office safety; and
road safety in company-provided transport, TCS have extended the scope beyond
the workplace to incidents that may occur outside of working hours.
 Apart from initiatives to provide associates a safety net at the team- and location-
level, counselling sessions are regularly held on domestic issues, personal stress, and
relationship issues.
 Training and awareness sessions about self-harm are also conducted.
 TCS has also deployed a location-specific Night Exit Policy, and arranges for free
airport pick-up and drop facilities for women associates.
 In FY17, TCS launched a weekly Safety Evangelist mailer campaign, as part of which
TCSers share their personal experiences of safety incidents.
 TCS have also released a carpooling app called Ko-Ride with intent to help associates
reach work safely, and contribute towards environmental sustainability.

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  TCS APAC, for three months each year, employees volunteer their time towards
donation drives, fundraising initiatives, and visits to orphanages, nursing homes, and
old age homes.
 TCS Hong Kong has also independently partnered with YMCA to work on social
community service and health education programs that improve the quality of life of
underprivileged families. As part of the project, vegetables and bread from wet
markets and bakeries is distributed to deprived families.
 TCS Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) in 2015 launched a pro bono program under
which Australian health, education, and environmental not-for-profit organizations
receive complimentary access to TCS’ IT services. Among the services and solutions
offered so far is a mobile app to help young patients manage cystic fibrosis, a
medical registry for children suffering from congenital heart disease, and IT advisory
services to promote online learning among indigenous communities.
 In August 2017, TCS ANZ announced a partnership with 12 not-for-profit
organizations for the Community Innovation Program. This program delivers in-kind
services valued collectively at more than $1 million in fields such as application and
website development, IT consulting, and technology optimization. The first year’s
recipients range from medical charities to social enterprises, as well as four
organizations that work to improve the well-being of indigenous Australians.
 TCS Philippines and Singapore also host several blood donation drives in partnership
with the Red Cross, with associates donating blood as well as assisting members of
the public in doing the same. In China, TCS has tied up with Operation Smile to
enable cleft lip surgeries and heal children’s smiles. The China team offers support in
two ways: one, by sending associate volunteers to far-flung villages and provinces to
support medical teams. Second, by designing a comprehensive IT system for a
hospital in Hangzhou from scratch. So far, the TCS China team has participated in
over 14 missions, contributing more than 2,800 voluntary hours and reaching over
1,600 beneficiaries.

Awards and Recognition

1. “Best and Brightest Companies to Work” and “Best and Brightest in Wellness”

Tata Consultancy Services a leading global IT services, consulting and business solutions
organization, on 24-Jan-2017 announced that it has been recognized as one of the Best and
Brightest Companies To Work For and one of the Best and Brightest in Wellness in the
Nation by the National Association for Business Resources.

The 2016 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® were assessed on several key
measures including: Compensation, Benefits and Employee Solutions; Employee Enrichment
and Retention; Employee Education and Development; Recruitment, Selection and
Orientation; Employee Achievement and Recognition; Communication and Shared Vision;
Diversity and Inclusion; Work-Life Balance; Community Initiatives; and Strategic Company
Performance.

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“Best and Brightest Companies to Work” identifies and honours organizations that display a
commitment to excellence in operations and employee enrichment that lead to increased
productivity and financial performance.

Similarly, The Best and Brightest in Wellness™ 2016 were examined statistically for
quantitative data and on a point based criteria to benchmark and improve wellness program
effectiveness. They include outcomes, analysis and tracking, participation and incentives,
benefits and programs, leadership, employee input, culture, and environment.

“Best and Brightest in Wellness “Celebrates those companies that are making their
businesses more healthy, the lives of their employees better and the community a healthier
to place to live.

These two awards honour organizations that display a commitment to excellence in

operations and employee enrichment, and recognize and celebrate quality and excellence in
employee worksite health.

2. “2017 Working Mother & AVTAR Best Companies for Women”

Tata Consultancy Services Limited has emerged as one of the Top 10 best companies to
work for women in India, a recognition based on the ‘2017 Working Mother & AVTAR Best
Companies for Women in India study’.

The study assessed all applications on several parameters including benefits, workforce
profile, company culture, policies for women’s recruitment, retention & advancement and
policies for safety and security to name a few.

TCS scored extremely well in company culture and work-life programme reflecting that the
company’s culture has developed dynamically over time from the collective traits of its
employees. TCS’ policies for women’s recruitment, retention and advancement were also
recognised as the best in class. TCS was acknowledged as having a rich and diverse
workforce profile and an excellent wellness programme for its employees. The safety and
security policies were appreciated as one of the best, revealing the company’s commitment
towards offering its employees a safe and secure working environment.

TCS has focused on building and sustaining women leaders and has created unique
programmes to support their career advancement. 11% of TCS’ senior leaders are women,
with many of them holding business leadership responsibilities and globally.

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17. Conclusion:
Stress management isn’t as difficult as it might actually seem. However, we can’t emphasize
this next point enough. If you think you have too much stress in your life, it may be helpful
to talk with your doctor, spiritual advisor, or local mental health association.
We don’t want to present ourselves as medical professionals. All we want to do is give you
some tools to implement in your life to help you better cope with those things that make us
overwhelmed and feel out of control.
You may also want to look into a change in lifestyle & time management in order to get rid
of some of your stressors. The correlation between employee well-being, mental health and
economic costs shows that stress affects the productivity of employees. It is in the
organisation's best interests to promote employee well-being and conduct stress-reduction
programs.

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18. Bibliography
 "Safety and health in the use of machinery" by International Labour Organisation - Geneva

 Executive Burnout By Radha R. Sharma and Sir Cary Cooper

 http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@ed_protect/@protrav/@safework/documents/normati
veinstrument/wcms_164653.pdf

 "Promoting a positive culture - A guide to health and safety" culture by Institution of Occupational
Safety and Health

 http://www.iosh.co.uk/positiveculture

 https://www.tcs.com/tcs-honored-best-and-brightest-companies-2016#

 https://campuscommune.tcs.com/en-in/intro/view_blog/tcs-emerges-as-one-of-the-best-companies-
to-work-f

 UNITED NATIONS DEPARTMENT OF PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS

http://www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/stress.htm

 HAAGA-HELIA University of applied Science Theseus

https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/12299/Shchuka_Aljona.pdf?sequence=1

 American Journal of Nursing Science

http://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajns.s.2015040201.19.pdf

 4-Selye H. The Stress of Life (rev. edn.). New York: McGraw-Hill, 1976.

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