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LETTER TO EDITOR |
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| Year : 2019 | Volume
: 23
| Issue : 1 | Page : 57-58 |
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Better psychosocial work environment: For well-being of the worker and the organization
Raja Danasekaran, Ravivarman Govindasamy
Department of Community Medicine, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India
| Date of Web Publication | 15-Apr-2019 |
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Raja Danasekaran
Department of Community Medicine, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Kelambakkam, Kanchipuram - 603 103, Tamil Nadu
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/ijoem.IJOEM_183_18
How to cite this article:
Danasekaran R, Govindasamy R. Better psychosocial work environment: For well-being of the worker and the organization. Indian J Occup Environ Med 2019;23:57-8 |
How to cite this URL:
Danasekaran R, Govindasamy R. Better psychosocial work environment: For well-being of the worker and the organization. Indian J Occup Environ Med [serial online] 2019 [cited 2022 Aug 10];23:57-8. Available from: https://www.ijoem.com/text.asp?2019/23/1/57/256225 |
Work-related hazards may have a huge impact on the physical as well as the psychological health of the worker, which in turn reduces the effectiveness of an organization. Hence, psychosocial hazards are being considered as a major factor to be addressed for the health of the individual and the organization. Workplace stress occurs if there is a mismatch between the ability of a worker and the demands on the individual. There is an urgent need for monitoring the stress in the workplace. Apart from identifying and dealing with the hazards, it is the duty of the employer to provide a healthy and hazard free environment for the workers.[1]
Workplace stress accounts for more than one-third of new incidences of ill health among workers in many countries.[2] [Table 1] shows the various sources of psychosocial hazards that can occur in a workplace. Psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, and occupational stress are commonly associated with workplace stress.[3] There is increasing evidence for association between work stress and the occurrence of diseases such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, musculoskeletal disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, etc.[4] Apart from the health impact, they also affect the society in terms of reduction in economy, problems in relationships, and also increase in negative behaviors such as alcoholism and drug abuse.[5],[6]
Possible risks in the working environment that could harm the workers can be assessed by a risk management approach. Risk management approach usually consists of the following steps: (a) an analysis of the situation and an assessment of risk; (b) the design of an action plan to reduce the risk of work stress; (c) the implementation of that action plan; (d) its evaluation; and (e) learning and further action from the results of that evaluation.[1]
To have a better working environment, the employees should be involved in decisions related to them, the organization to have a better communication both ways, workload should be optimal, and violence to be totally avoided. It should be remembered that all these hazards could be averted at the organizational level with better management and decision making. Finally, if both the employer and employee work together to minimize the levels of work-related stress, leading to improvement in work-related quality of life, which will not only ensure a physically and mentally healthy workforce but also could culminate into the better economic output for the organization.[7]
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
| References | |  |
| 1. | |
| 2. | Kinman, G, Court S. Psychosocial hazards in UK universities: Adopting a risk assessment approach. HighEduc Q 2010;64:41328.  |
| 3. | |
| 4. | Middeldorp CM, Cath DC, Boomsma D. A twin-family study of the association between employment, burnout and anxious depression. J Affect Disord 2006;90:163-9. |
| 5. | Marmot M, Bosma H, Hemingway H, Brunner E, Stansfeld S. Contribution of job control and other risk factors to social variations in coronary heart disease incidence. Lancet 1997;350:235-9. |
| 6. | Schaufeli WB, Greenglass ER. Introduction to special issue on burnout and health. Psychol Health 2001;16:501-10. |
| 7. | |
[Table 1]
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