Work-related stress is a growing global problem affecting employees' health and well-being. It can arise due to a number of reasons, and it is the legal duty of employers to assess and manage the workplace stress of their staff. Unfortunately, it is not always the case that employers are willing to change their practices and policies in recognition of work-related stress. If that is the case, employees need to understand their rights at their workplace to avoid burnout. In this article, we will discuss employees' rights and how they can manage stress at their workplace.
Make a Flexible Working Request
Firstly, it's important you speak with your employer about what's causing you stress. It's normal to feel unwilling to do so for fear of being punished or dismissed on the grounds of being lazy or not wanting to work. However, presenting your employer with a request for a more flexible working hour can help reduce the likelihood of burnout. Moreover, the National Employment Standards give some employees the right to make a request for flexible work conditions. These changes may include changes to the pattern of your work, location, and hours of your work. Your employer can refuse this request, but only on reasonable business grounds. If your employer refuses unreasonably, you can contact our San Diego workplace rights lawyer to take action under your contract of employment or Award, Enterprise Agreement.
Know your Entitlements and the Requirements of your Role
Another cause for workplace stress is when your employer requests you to complete tasks that are beyond your job function or deny you certain entitlements. As such, it's vital to familiarize yourself with your employment contract and your employer's policies and practices, so you can prepare yourself against unreasonable directions or denials. As an employee, you have the right to take a leave of absence from work, perhaps you need to go on an adventure for mental clarity. Knowing what you're entitled to, what is required of you, and what the performance metrics are for your position are great ways to manage work-related stress.
Take Action Against Workplace Harassment
Work-related stress doesn't only arise from too many hours or too many duties. Workplace harassment can also be a stressful situation. Workplace harassment can appear in so many forms, such as:
- Sexual harassment
- Discriminatory harassment
- Verbal harassment
- Power harassment
- Psychological harassment
- Cyberbullying
If you feel you're being harassed at your workplace and have been unsuccessful in dealing with it through normal channels, there are other options available to you. You can seek legal help, as our workplace lawyers have experience dealing with such cases. Also, the U.S. Department of Labor and other sub-agencies like the OSHA and WHD have anti-bullying policies that protect employees against workplace harassment.
Manage Long Hours
Working long hours is one of the biggest causes of burnout. If you're working full time, it's common to have in your employment contract that your employer may request you work additional hours. However, this clause for additional hours must be reasonable under the law. If the requested hours are unreasonable, you have the right to refuse. However, refusing such a request must be on the grounds of reasonable factors such as your health, safety, nature of your role, and so on. If you have questions about what is unreasonable overtime in your contract, it's best to seek legal advice as every organization and job role is different.
