Navigating the Challenges of Occupational Stress: A Worker's Perspective

Occupational stress, from the viewpoint of a contact centre worker, unfolds as the physical, mental, and emotional responses when the demands of the job seem to surpass one's capabilities and available resources, such as time or access to support.

Personal Impact of Occupational Stress:

In the dynamic environment of contact centres, unchecked occupational stress can manifest in various ways, affecting workers personally:

• Job dissatisfaction, diminished morale, and increased workplace conflicts
• Reduced productivity
• Surge in escalated calls
• Instances of absenteeism
• Workers' compensation claims, spanning both psychological and musculoskeletal issues
• Escalation in employee turnover.

Understanding the Impact on Contact Centre Workers:

Occupational stress emerges as a substantial health and safety concern for those navigating the challenges of contact centre roles. Factors contributing to occupational stress risk include:

• Elevated mental, emotional, and/or physical work demands
• Limited control over work and its organization
• Insufficient support from supervisors and peers
• Lack of role clarity or heightened role confusion
• Mismanaged workplace conflict
• Ineffectively handled organizational change
• Unfavorable workplace justice climate
• Minimal worker recognition and reward.

Strategies to Alleviate Occupational Stress:

To foster a healthier work environment, it becomes imperative to adopt measures that minimize occupational stress in contact centres:

• Ensure comprehensive training for workers to proficiently execute their tasks
• Equip supervisors with adequate training for timely and appropriate performance management
• Set realistic work demands aligned with workers' capabilities, especially during peak periods
• Regularly review workloads to guarantee ample time and support for meeting demands
• Encourage open communication, urging workers to voice concerns about excessive task demands
• Establish procedures for worker input on decisions related to work design, rosters, and safety concerns
• Implement processes allowing workers or their representatives more control over rotation/task variation opportunities
• Seek worker consultation on decisions about call flow or customer queues control
• Provide clear, adaptable scripting to align with individual communication styles
• Offer flexibility in scheduled and personal breaks
• Deliver comprehensive induction training for new workers, covering customer handling, conflict management, de-escalation techniques, and stress management
• Provide ongoing training on effective communication and conflict resolution strategies
• Deploy user-friendly software programs for efficient service provision
• Ensure positive, supportive supervision
• Facilitate access to breakout areas for brief breaks from emotionally demanding client interactions
• Conduct staff appraisals/performance reviews focusing on role-related skill gaps
• Establish clear procedures for monitoring systems usage
• Align reward and recognition systems with agreed-upon performance outcomes
• Promote worker engagement in internal and external health and wellbeing programs
• Provide access to support services, including employee assistance programs or counseling services.

By actively participating in these strategies, workers contribute significantly to shaping a work environment that values their well-being and promotes a sustainable and supportive workplace culture.