Job stress has become a common and costly problem in the American workplace, leaving few workers untouched.
Ⅰ. General introduction to job stress
1) definition: harmful physical and (1) ______ responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources or needs of the worker.
2) difference between challenge and job stress
--Challenge (2) ______ us psychologically and physically and when a challenge is met, we feel relaxed and satisfied.
-- In the case of job stress, the stage is set for illness, injury and job failure.
3) prevention strategies for job stress: individual and (3) ______ factors
-- (4) ______ between work and family or personal life
-- a support network of friends and coworkers
-- a relaxed and positive outlook
Ⅱ. Influences of job stress
1) early signs
-- mood and sleep disturbances
-- upset stomach and headache
-- (5) ______ with family and friends
2) (6) ______ diseases
-- cardiovascular disease
-- musculoskeletal disorders
-- psychological disorders
3) inadequate job performance like absenteeism which has (7) ______ on the bottom line
Ⅲ. Measures to reduce job stress
1) stress management training, such as employee assistance programs to provide (8) ______.
______ for employees with work and personal problems
-- inexpensive
-- easy to implement
-- reducing rapidly stress symptoms like anxiety and sleep disturbances
--beneficial effects on stress symptoms are (9) ______, because of focus on worker rather than environment
2) organizational change, that is, to bring in a consultant to improve (10) ______
-- identification of stressful aspects of work
-- design of strategies to reduce or eliminate the identified stressors
3) the most useful approach: a combination of organizational change and stress management