Development of Policies to Deal with Workplace Stress
Establishing policies and laws to implement, develop, and strengthen
effective organizational interventions to reduce workplace stress is
critical.
Structural Development of the Organization: In order to
effectively implement a mental health promotion program in the
workplace, creating reforms and new laws is a necessary issue. The
participants considered it important to redesign the roles through the
division of work and based on the specialized division of tasks,
assigning tasks based on individual characteristics and capabilities,
and redesigning the role of the foreman. A manager said:
Each person has special abilities and conditions. I have to consider
these in the selection of my employees. This person is useful for
training, this person is useful for executive work, and this person is
suitable for monitoring. (FGK)
Managers and supervisors considered the changes in the executive
management process of the organization as important, including the
modification of some work processes to reduce the workload and improve
the job skills training. In addition, the allocation of payments based
on the workload or job sensitivity was considered important. To organize
the job promotion system and eliminate the feeling of being oppressed
among the HCWs, the necessity of setting up a specific framework for job
promotion was emphasized. Moreover, the participants of this study
considered it important to involve HCWs for carefully examining the
stressful factors of the work environment, discovering efficient
solutions, deciding how to make changes, and handing over
responsibilities. One of the supervisors said:
It is better to hold a meeting for HCWs and ask them about their
problems and suggestions and give their opinion. (FGG)
Developing Constructive Supervision: According to the
participants, especially the supervisors, to reduce the stressful
monitoring, it is necessary to revise the monitoring techniques. In this
regard, issues such as conducting supervision based on problem-solving,
improving supervisors’ supervisory skills, and improving methods of
dealing with poor performance were mentioned. Regarding how to deal with
a weak employee, a supervisor said:
We have to see what the problem is, maybe there is a problem with the
work process, and maybe we have to solve that problem ourselves. (FGD)
Development of Psychological Support: To develop psychological
support for HCWs, the participants, especially in the focus groups of
superiors, identified various dimensions, including the support and
positive guidance of supervisors, supporting them in work and non-work
problems, and carrying out periodic mental health examinations. A HCW
said in a focus group:
It is enough for the supervisors to see my positive points, this gives
me a lot of peace. (P17)
Development of strategies to increase motivation and encouragement of
HCWs was expressed as a supporting factor. Supervisors believed that for
motivational support, in addition to monetary rewards, non-monetary
rewards are also effective, such as providing a desired job position for
the employee or verbal encouragement. A HCW said about the positive
effect of the supervisor’s verbal feedback:
You will be happy when the supervisor praises you, “OK, you did your
job very well.” (P7)