There are two important elements of the work environment which influence stress: the job demands on a worker and the amount of control a worker has over meeting those demands. The combination of heavy job demands and low job control often lead to stress and job dissatisfaction.

Environmental demands can be seen as both positive and negative. Some people view life's more difficult situations as positive challenges and opportunities for growth. Although some level of challenge, interest or importance, is necessary for positive performance and job satisfaction, too many demands result in unproductive and unhealthy workers.

Without risking productivity, job-related mental health can improve by increasing autonomy, regardless of workload demands. In most cases this involves making administrative changes to allow for workers to make significant decisions about their task priorities, to have a say in organizational decisions, and to have some control over the use of their existing and potential skills.

A person's mental health and well-being is enhanced by demands during challenging circumstances, but only up to a point. Besides the two key elements of heavy job demands and lack of control over work, workplace stress can also result from lack of social support, personal conflicts, lack of communication, fear of job loss, overwork, monotony, deadlines, quotas, racism, and lack of respect and value for employees. These are just some examples of the workplace based threats to mental health which can have a major impact on employee health and productivity.

One of the most important aspects of a mental health enhancing work environment is how empowered employees feel. Health is affected by the organization of work, including how tasks are defined and assigned, and the distributon of human and material resources. When employees feel they have little influence over the organization and design of their work, they are less likely to enjoy good health than colleagues who do have a say in how their work is organized.

Danger Signals