In the transfer of technology from manuscript to hard-drive, longer periods are being spent at the computer. Most people now have keyboards on their desks and laptops at home, so they are doing a lot of their own work rather than the way it used to be when they submitted hand-written documents to a typist. The increased use of computer technology especially the Internet and email has no doubt influenced people. Aside from computer overuse and professional stress, personal stress and the introduction of mouse-operated commands are major contributors to workplace stress. The pace of work and difficulty of combining a hectic job with home life means more responsibility on employers to provide support and assistance for their employees in the form of practical measures. Thirty-one percent of those surveyed admitted that they found balancing work and home life stressful. (ISMA)
The argument here is does technology impact workplace stress, by the findings from the article, 33% of workers believe that their quality of life has been improved by e-technology. In fact, the most stressful situations/activities that were found stressful by workers was rush hour travel by 45%. While 20% were stressed by new technology. On the other hand, involvement of employees affected by decisions on how and when to introduce new technology. At the core of this approach to workplace, stress is the “no harm” principle. As the scientific evidence relating workplace characteristics to employee health becomes more widely known, the obligation on employers to ensure they are not producing health-related stress problems will grow. There is already abundant justification for ensuring that your workplace is not producing stress-related health problems. It is not only in the interests of employees. It is also simply good business.
Some areas that I personally can relate to stressful conditions at the workplace associated with technology. First, potential network problems, being in the middle of an important email or document that needs to be sent via the intranet, in my case, and having the network go down, poses much frustration. Second, computer technicians response times, my workplace is off main campus so when I have an emergency computer problem, it may take days to get someone to come and fix the problem. Third, relationships with co-workers are changed because there are no face-to-face communication because of technology, i.e. email, chat, etc. Lastly, the fear of losing data due to technology, some people have so much of their data and other works on a computer that if anything ever happened to the machine itself, they would have lost everything.
In conclusion, stress is evident in everyone’s personal life and at the workplace. It is up to the individual whether technology adds to that stress. Educating yourself with the upcoming and most recent technology methods can only benefit one’s professional growth.
References
. Retrieved November 3, 2003.
