The Effects of Work-Related Stress and Working in a Call Centre - Dissertation Example

The term “stress” has now crept into common parlance and is widely used both in personal and professional life. However, the term has many definitions and in a generic sense can be used to cover a wide variety of different situations. For the purposes of this study, stress will be defined as “the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demands placed on them” “stress can be caused by things at work or outside work, or both” (HSE, n.d) Even within this definition it is important to accept that stress is not an illness in itself but a condition which, left unchecked, can contribute to a whole host of health problems: “Between fifty and seventy per cent of all illnesses are linked to stress response” (Corbin, Lindsay, & Welk, 2000, p. 15). There are numerous studies available linking stress to health conditions, for example; heart problems (British Heart Foundation) and type 2 diabetes (CIPD, 2010).

Given the apparent rise in stress-related illness and absence and attendance cost, the condition is now high on the national agenda. Government departments in co-operation with employers, trade unions, employer’s organisations, health professionals and voluntary groups have set several challenging targets as part of a long term strategy: In Securing Health Together, they aim by 2010, to reduce the incidence of work-related ill health by 20 per cent reduce ill-health to members of the public, caused by work activity by 20 per cent reduce the number of working days lost due to work-related ill health by 30 per cent The rise in the condition has also prompted national legislation and regulation.

Changes in the Disability Discrimination Act in December 2005, means that mental impairment no longer needs to be “clinically well-recognised” to potentially be classified as disability (CIPD, 2010) The significance of which, is that it is now easier for employees to bring disability cases and discrimination claims involving stress and depression.