Psychosocial Risks in the Workplace - for Employees

Scholarly article

Psychosocial Risks in the Workplace – for Employees

Working climate and work organisation

Is your workflow interrupted on a daily basis? Is it not always clear who expects what from you? Do you sometimes lack sufficient support? You may be saying, «Well, that’s part of everyday work» – true, but little things like that significantly affect our motivation, satisfaction and performance.

The working atmosphere and organisation of work is very important for well-being and health in the workplace. Little room for manoeuvre, a lack of appreciation and permanent stress have negative effects on our performance and even put our health at risk. But activities that are repeatedly interrupted or a lack of support can also affect motivation and health.

Even though a positive working atmosphere and good organisation of work are primarily management responsibilities, you can also make important contributions yourself by minimising your personal psychosocial risks. Here’s what you can do to help.

These situations involve psychosocial risks:

Being constantly interrupted while completing your work
Having to put on a permanent smile, even when you’re not feeling well
Receiving unclear or contradictory assignments from your supervisor
Lack of support from fellow employees
Not receiving sufficient appreciation for your achievements
Constant pressure to meet deadlines
Family stresses which preoccupy you at work
Difficulty to switch off from work – you even feel tense in your free time

Coping

You can tackle psychosocial risks in two ways. Either address the cause directly (problem-focused coping) or consciously adjust your attitude and outlook (emotion-focused coping).

Problem-focused coping

Address the problem

Would you like more appreciation from your supervisor or better support from the team? Have the courage to address the problem. Explain what you have observed, describe how you feel about the situation, and articulate your needs and make a request to the person(s) involved. If you communicate such messages thoughtfully, people are likely to listen.

Improve your self-management

Break problems down into smaller problems and think about how to tackle those sub-problems. Concrete planning, prioritising, and/or seeking support may be helpful.
Formulate clear, achievable and verifiable goals. Break them down into smaller sub-goals. Think about the steps which will get you to these sub-goals. Also imagine what might prevent you from achieving the goals and draw up very specific counter-strategies. For example, “When the boss bursts into the office with a new job then I will tell him I want to finish the current job and can only take on new jobs afterwards.” It’s important to reward yourself when you achieve goals.

Get support

Get help if you feel you’re not coping well with difficulties at work. Accepting help shows strength – it means you are listening to yourself and taking the signals seriously. Movis supports you confidentially in the event of challenges in your workplace and/or in your personal everyday life.

Emotion-focused coping

Change the thoughts in your head

Detach yourself from negative thoughts and focus on the positive. These questions can help:

Reality check: «Is the situation really how I see it? What suggests tis is the case? How do other people see it?»
See the positive: «What is good about this situation? What opportunities does it offer? What can I learn from this situation?»
Putting things in perspective and distancing yourself: «What will I think about this in a year? What would a good friend say to me in this situation?»

Look for balance

Consciously seek balance to your hectic everyday life. Relaxation techniques and physical exercise can help.
Maintain social relationships. Your batteries are recharged when you spend time with people you like.
Take time for your hobby. Devote yourself to craft, creative or sporting activities. When we become completely absorbed in an activity, we automatically relax.

Get support

Would you like to improve your job satisfaction? If so, we recommend a personal consultation with a Movis counsellor. We work with you to develop strategies for how to act even in difficult situations. For the sake of you and your health.

Further information:

Employee Assistance Program Seco – Psychosoziale Risken am Arbeitsplatz

Psychosocial Risks in the Workplace – for Managers and HR

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