ISSN: 2278-3369 International Journal of Advances in Management and Economics Available online at: www.managementjournal.info RESEARCH ARTICLE Occupational Stress, Physical Wellness and Productivity Barometer at Workplace Jyotirmayee Choudhury Dept of Business Administration Utkal University Vanivihar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. Abstract: The paper is a conceptual one to understand the relationship between occupational stress, physical wellbeing and productivity barometer such as burnout, illness, labour turnover and absenteeism. The accumulated unpleasant emotional and psychological feelings ascend out of occupational stress impacts the physical and mental wellness of an employee which ultimately depreciates his/ her productivity barometer. The present paper is a conceptual frame work to understand the concept stress, occupational stress and individual’s appraisal of it in his/her work environment. The research work analyses occupational stress as more of a sort of individual generated which rises out of individual’s assessment of the stressors of work life. The objective of the research work is to study on occupational stress, physical and psychological wellbeing and productivity barometer. The research article attempts to suggest in promoting health philosophy and physical wellness programme in organisation’s work culture and environment through individual initiated interventions and organisation policy to put a control on occupational stress in order to check the alarming signal of productivity barometer. Keywords: Occupational Stress, Physical Wellbeing, Productivity Barometer, Quality of Work Life and Quality of Life. Article Received: 01 August 2019 Revised: 10 August 2019 Accepted: 22 August 20198 Introduction Stress in general and organizational stress in inevitable feature of most contemporary particular is a universal and frequently workplaces. Work places are becoming a disabling human predicament. It has been a volatile stress factory both for employees and part of vocabulary of every man in employers. There is a significant correlation organisational work space. Stress is state of between Organizational Climate and Job psychological and physiological imbalance stress. Occupational and organizational arising out of the disparity between stress is a known factor for health disorder. situational demand and the individual's ability and motivation to meet those. Based on an annual survey from the American Psychological Association (APA), It is becoming obvious part of work life. 60 percent of people in the United States Stress produces numerous physical and consider their job a major source of stress. mental conditions which vary according to Job stress ranked higher than the economy, each individual's perception on threat. family responsibilities and even personal Although the degree of experiencing stress is health concerns. Dynamic social factors different, it is a common experience to all. coupled with changing life style add to it and Stress experience was first documented by Dr thereby increasing common stress related Hans Selye, a pioneer in stress research [1]. reactions such as tension, irritability, inability to concentrate and wide variety of According to him, stress causes a variety of physical symptoms. psychological conditions including anxiety and depression, mental illness as well as a Accumulated stress for a longer period of number of important physical conditions time may break a person both internally and including heart attack, ulcers and stroke. externally and compel him to live in distress Stress from non-work personal domain such and resultant burnout [2]. Prolonged, as family and financial problem add to frequent or intense stress exposure lead occupational stress. Although it is an towards distress in form of medical, individual problem, stress is an integral and psychological or behavioural unhealthy Jyotirmayee Choudhury | Sept.-Oct. 2019 | Vol.8| Issue 5 |46- 46 Available Online at www.managementjournal.Info consequences which eventually impact on occupational stress extensively [11] as it can productivity barometer. lead to compromised health and poor performance of employees. The level of Literature Review occupational stress may vary between There is no universal agreement on the different occupations, the position of an definition of stress. McEwen [3] simply states individual in the organization, that “Stress is a word used to describe responsibilities and the way one tackle these experiences that are challenging emotionally stressors. But the increasing number of and physiologically”. Stress refers to some work-stress victims is undoubtedly a matter stimulus resulting in detectable strain that of concern. Occupational stress has known as cannot be accommodated by the entity and one of the factors likely to predict which ultimately results in impaired health psychological wellbeing. It has become one of or behaviour. the major influences on the health, daily living and psychological well-being of These stressors may be acute (e.g., hassles) workers [12]. or chronic (e.g., bereavement), small in magnitude (e.g., standing in a long line) or Stress not only contributes to the physical traumatic (e.g., violent attack). Stress may disorders but also to their emotional directly affect health behaviours [4]. Stress problems. Stress gives rise to cognitive common among employees may trigger dysfunction such as dementia [13] and actions from the individuals, groups and the excessive fatigue [14]. Stress may have a organization. Individual, group and direct effect on health such as deregulation of organizational stressors refer to occupational hormonal axes as well as indirect routes stress. Occupational stress has been toward maladaptation [15] leading towards expressed by Coopper and Marshall [5] as psychosocial stress and risk of cardiovascular negative environmental factors or stressors diseases. Stress is related to declining associated with a particular job. physical function over time [16] and obesity [17]. Occupational stress arises due to work situations that place strains on worker’s All these factors coupled together make inability to meet work demands which can people vulnerable to different kind of lead to illness or psychological distress. illnesses and involve in unhealthy lifestyles Occupational stress is a major health such as excessive consumption of alcohol, problem for both employees and smoking, substance abuse and self- organizations [6]. It can lead to burnout, medications, psychological distress, violence illness, labour turnover and absenteeism. and the desire to quit the job. Adegoke [12] Occupational stress can also be a barrier to reported that there were significant aspects recruiting and retaining workers [7]. of work-stress, frustration and depression on psychological well-being of employees. He Prolonged work stress negatively affects further identified environmental demands physical and mental health outcomes. Stress especially with regards to time, high proliferation, whereby a stressor or set of workload, low work control, depression and stressors can develop beyond a given aggression as the aspects of psychological situation result in additional intention to well-being. Akintayo et al [18] reported that distort and bring counterattack by the person there was a significant impact of occupational or object on which it is resisted in stress on level of job satisfaction, psychophysiology. commitment and compliance of the Occupational stress constitutes any employees. characteristics of job and its environment Stress affects the employees in an which poses a threat to the individual. organization probably because shortage of Cooper [8] found that poor physical health is time, heavy workload, conflict of roles, an outcome of occupational stress. working condition, job and relationships Alternatively those who were physically between individuals. It could also be due to active are less likely to be stressed and better individuals’ adjustment with respect to their problem solving and coping skills [9]. Work performance and the productivity. Whatever environments are vital to the retention and could be the reason, occupational stress can recruitment of professionals and the negatively affect employee absence [19], sustainability of systems [10]. Researchers turnover and health problems [8], low have been exploring the subject of Jyotirmayee Choudhury | Sept.-Oct. 2019 | Vol.8| Issue 5 |46-50 47 Available Online at www.managementjournal.Info performance, and individual workers health and organizational welfare which highlighting counterproductive work ought to be the concern of every organisation. behaviour. Moreover post-traumatic stress Suggestions leads towards depression, tension, frustration, sadness and loneliness which The burning issue of occupational stress can ultimately leads towards declining only be addressed when organizations play productivity barometer. their part in helping the employees to cope with it. All institutions must set up a support Objectives cell to deal with the physical and To analyse the concept stress and psychological concerns of staff members [25]. occupational stress Health philosophy has to be ingrained, preached and practised in organisational To study the co-relation between philosophy because health is contagious in occupational stress, physical wellbeing and nature. productivity barometer A recent Social network study done by To provide suggestions and interventions in Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler [26] a controlling