Abstract
Introduction: Work-related stress results from excessive demands and pressures, challenging individuals' ability to cope (“Women’s Smoking: Relationships among Emotional Labour, Occupational Stress, and Health Promotion,” 2019). Globally, it is reported that one in ten employees, which equates to 79%, are believed to suffer from high workplace stress. In the African region, South Africa is among the countries with a high prevalence of work-related stress, with 1 in 4 employees indicating that 31.09% are stressed at work. High work-related stress in South Africa is mainly caused by corporate organisations' high demands and long hours. Despite existing interventions, most companies fail to implement them, leading to an increased prevalence of occupational mental health issues among South African workers. Therefore, the study aims to explore the prevalence, causes, and effects of work-related stress and identify effective global, national, and organisational interventions that organisations can adopt.
Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study design was employed to determine the prevalence, causes, and effects of work-related stress in corporate companies within Roodepoort Office Park. The total sample size, estimated using Epi Info, was 434 employees, with data collected through a questionnaire administered to a random sample population. The data was analysed using SPSS. Descriptive analysis was performed to characterise the population and assess the prevalence of work-related stress. Inferential statistics, such as multivariable logistic regression analysis, was conducted to identify factors significantly associated with work-related stress, considering a P-value of < 0.05.
Results: The findings show that work-related stress is 0.2% but 65% of the corporate employees’ report that they “often" (33%) or "always" (32%) worry about their job. Exploratory factor analysis identified four key stressor components: Performance-Related Anxiety (Factor 1, Eigenvalue = 6.70, Cronbach’s α = 0.927), Lack of Managerial Support (Factor 2, Eigenvalue = 2.25, Cronbach’s α = 0.873), Poor Work Environment (Factor 3, Eigenvalue = 1.45, Cronbach’s α = 0.865), and Productivity-Linked Job Threat (Factor 4, Eigenvalue = 1.02, Cronbach’s α = 0.859). These four factors that were associated with work-related stress, collectively accounted for 70.87% of the total variance in stress responses, indicating robust internal consistency and a strong explanatory structure for work-related worry among employees.
Conclusion: The study indicates an increased burden of work-related stress among corporate employees in a communication company, mainly due to experiencing job-related worry. The identification of key stressors like performance-related anxiety, lack of managerial support, and poor work environment highlights the complex nature of occupational stress in such organisations. Therefore, these findings emphasise the urgent need to develop targeted organisational interventions focused on these main stressors, which are likely to be effective in reducing work-related stress.