1.
‘Counselling and stress management training have useful roles to play, but rather than focusing exclusively on what the organisation can provide for the employee to help them cope with stress, organisations would be well advised to consider what the organisation can do to eliminate or reduce workplace stressors.’
adapted from: Stress-management interventions in the workplace: stress counselling and stress audits CARY L. COOPER & SUE CARTWRIGHT. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, Vol. 22, No. 1, 1994. (http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/03069889408253666 )
2.
‘Work-related stress is a serious problem and the Health and Safety Executive’s (2003/04) survey of self-reported work-related illness indicated that more than half a million individuals in Britain were experiencing work stress at a level that was causing them ill-health.’
source: Can coaching reduce workplace stress? Kristina Gyllensten & Stephen Palmer. The Coaching Psychologist. No. 1 July 2005. (http://www.choixdecarriere.com/pdf/6573/2010/GyllenstenPalmerJuly2005.pdf#page=17 )
3.
‘The causes of stress are varied. Perhaps the most commonly cited cause is a lack of time or an excessive workload. Lack of time may stem from responsibilities at home, at work, or a combination of both. But other triggers are possible. Working too much, fear of accident or injury, poor interpersonal relationships with co-workers or supervisors, or the threat of layoff or job loss can all be sources of stress in the work environment.’
source: Cara Williams, Sources of workplace stress. Perspectives on Labour and Income: The online edition. June 2003 Vol. 4, no. 6 (http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75-001-x/00603/6533-eng.html )

4.
‘Our analysis confirms a relationship between occupational stress and attitudes towards organizational change. Almost all occupational stressors were related to negative attitudes to change…. Lack of a socially supportive environment, as expressed by bad work relationships, was found to be the strongest predictor of negative attitudes towards change…. Another issue is the administration of appropriate human resource functions, such as training. Employees need to feel adequately trained and informed especially during change because effective communication reduces fear and uncertainty and, therefore, resistance to change.’
adapted from: Maria Vakola and Ioannis Nikolaou, Attitudes towards organizational change: What is the role of employees’ stress and commitment? Employee Relations, (2005), Vol. 27 Iss 2 pp. 160 – 174 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/01425450510572685 )

5.
‘Learning about how employees view the causes of their stress can often lead to the development of effective solutions. Gathering information from employees can be done informally either individually or in small group meetings…. Just making an effort to assess the problem signals to the employees that the management values their wellbeing. These actions can improve morale and reduce stress even before the implementation of any formal measure.’
source: New Developments Concerning Workplace Safety Training: Managing Stress Arising from Work by Teodor Pretrus and Brian H. Kleiner. Management Research News, Volume 26 Number 6, 2003,pp. 68 – 76. (http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/01409170310783538 )

6.
‘From a recent study by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Paoli, 1997) it appears that 28% of over 15,000 European workers report that stress is a work-related health problem.’
source: Preventing Stress, Improving Productivity: European Case Studies in the Workplace, by Michiel Kompier, Cary L. Cooper. 1999. Routledge. London, England.