Ethical Issues Inherent With Workplace Stress

by Michael Lee

Photo: stress.lovetoknow.com

 There are several possible triggers of stress in the office, but the most common are ethical issues inherent with workplace stress. Stress has been one of the basic part of life, wherein people are constantly subjected to pressure of meeting demands.

Researchers have recognized and identified the top causes of stress in the workplace. Being able to identify the triggers of your stress will help you avoid or cope with the situation that cause them to arise in the first place.

The most common reason for workplace stress is the pressure of having to do too much work within a limited time scope. Then, stress heightens when several interruptions begin to slow down your progress at work.

Things become more complicated when you toss in conflicts among co-workers or superior that provides less motivation for excelling at the job. Indeed, these stress sources could come from an internal or external force.

Concept of Ethics

Ethics is a complicated concept to define. Often, the definition could differ from one person to another. As universally known though, ethics is based on a set of recognized and accepted standards of what is right and wrong. Therefore, it consists of feelings resulted from doing certain acts in the society.

Despite its general nature, the ethical standards for each individual could differ as well since each individual is raised in a different environment and ethical structure.

When relating to ethics at the workplace, conflicts happen when one person benefits at another's expense. Certainly, such scenarios of inequality can cause conflicts to arise and even result to reduced levels of productivity for some individuals.

Samples of Ethical Issues Inherent With Workplace Stress

If you're still quite unsure how ethical issues inherent with workplace stress is like, it can take on several different forms. It varies based on the source of conflict and how the parties involved react to that.

The most common source of ethical issues arise from recognition and merit of employees. Aside from achieving maximum salary grade, employees are also motivated by the idea of stepping up the corporate ladder. Hence, the positions they hold are also of importance to them. But, how do you recognize those limitations?

On the other end of the spectrum, employers could also be facing the same ethical dilemmas. This applies to a financially struggling company who is looking to lay off some of its employees. But in the time of financial crisis, how do you help them cope with the financial challenges by stripping their jobs off of them?

Indeed, the level of stress for the people who had to make these decisions are escalating with the many ethical considerations to make.

Dealing With Ethical Issues Inherent With Workplace Stress

There are three recommended steps to deal with a dilemma of this nature:

1) Are you taking legal actions?

When you are faced with ethical problems, you must ask this question first. There is no reason to feel guilty about laying off employees if that is what is best for the company, as long as it is done in a legal manner.

Also, if you are remaining true to the policy of the company and you do not violate any civil law, then you are free to make that decision.

2) Is the decision fair for both parties involved?

Although both parties do not necessarily have to gain something out of the decision made on the workplace, it must produce an even result for either parties. By saying that, no one ends up aggravated by the decision made.

3) Will the decision bother you ethically?

This consideration is subjective; however, you need to produce a satisfactory answer to it in order to ensure that you have dealt with ethical issues inherent with workplace stress properly.

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