Job strain is a form of psychosocial stress that occurs in the workplace. One of the most common forms of stress, it is characterized by a combination of low salaries, high demands, and low levels of control over things such as raises and paid time off. Stresses at work can be

eustress The term eustress means "beneficial stress"—either psychological, physical (e.g., exercise), or biochemical/radiological (hormesis). The word was introduced by endocrinologist Hans Selye (1907–1982) in 1976; he combined the Greek prefix '' ...

, a positive type of stress, or distress, a negative type of stress. Job strain in the workplace has been proven to result in poor psychological health, and eventually poor physical health. Job strain has been a recurring issue for years and affects men and women differently.

Causes of work stress

Eustress causes

Examples of positive causes of stress in the workplace include starting a new job and receiving a pay raise. Both of these situations improve performance.

Distress causes

On the negative side, one cause of job strain is low

salaries A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis. Sa ...

. Low pay causes job strain due to living expenses. Housing expenses are extremely high, which makes it difficult for

minimum wage A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. List of countries by minimum wage, Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation b ...

workers to afford housing. As the minimum wage increases, the cost of living increases as well. The second cause of job strain comes from excessive workloads. Being exhausted from overworking is a common stressor in the workplace and can often lead to poor communication between coworkers. A 2019 survey by Cartridge People identified workload as the main cause of occupational stress. A lack of support from employers and employees may also cause stress. Making decisions and participating is a way of support from employers and employees.

Health effects

When experiencing job strain in the form of distress at work, people are subject to

headaches A headache, also known as cephalalgia, is the symptom of pain in the face, head, or neck. It can occur as a migraine, tension-type headache, or cluster headache. There is an increased risk of depression in those with severe headaches. Head ...

, stomachaches, sleep disturbances, short temper, and difficulty concentrating.

Anxiety Anxiety is an emotion characterised by an unpleasant state of inner wikt:turmoil, turmoil and includes feelings of dread over Anticipation, anticipated events. Anxiety is different from fear in that fear is defined as the emotional response ...

insomnia Insomnia, also known as sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder where people have difficulty sleeping. They may have difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep for as long as desired. Insomnia is typically followed by daytime sleepiness, low ene ...

high blood pressure Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms itself. It is, however, a major ri ...

, a

weakened immune system Immunodeficiency, also known as immunocompromise, is a state in which the immune system's ability to fight infectious diseases and cancer is compromised or entirely absent. Most cases are acquired ("secondary") due to extrinsic factors that affec ...

, and

heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is any disease involving the heart or blood vessels. CVDs constitute a class of diseases that includes: coronary artery diseases (e.g. angina pectoris, angina, myocardial infarction, heart attack), heart failure, ...

may occur if stress at work becomes more persistent. A 2012 meta-analysis found a positive association between job strain and

coronary heart disease Coronary artery disease (CAD), also called coronary heart disease (CHD), or ischemic heart disease (IHD), is a type of cardiovascular disease, heart disease involving Ischemia, the reduction of blood flow to the cardiac muscle due to a build-up ...

risk. A 2015 meta-analysis found a similar association between job strain and

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

; this association was especially strong for women. Time poverty has been found to heighten the risk for depression, inflated BMI, and cardiovascular disease in women. Job strain has been found to increase the risk of higher

blood pressure Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure of Circulatory system, circulating blood against the walls of blood vessels. Most of this pressure results from the heart pumping blood through the circulatory system. When used without qualification, the term ...

, but not

obesity Obesity is a medical condition, considered by multiple organizations to be a disease, in which excess Adipose tissue, body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it can potentially have negative effects on health. People are classifi ...

Gender differences

Men and women react differently when exposed to work situations involving stress. In 2012, a survey taken by Canadian Community Health showed that women experience higher job strain than men, and also that women feel they have lower levels of control and yet experience more coworker support than men. Because women have lower levels of control at work, they experience more mental health risks such as depression and anxiety. Men tend to suffer from physical risks such as heart disease from carrying higher roles at work. A 2022 study by McKinsey & Company concluded that women are 41% more likely to be subjected to a toxic

workplace culture A workplace is a location where someone works, for their employer or themselves, a place of employment. Such a place can range from a home office to a large office building or factory. For industrialized societies, the workplace is one of th ...

and that their risk of burnout is elevated. A 2021

WHO The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has 6 regional offices and 15 ...

study concluded that working 55+ hours a week raises the risk of stroke by 35% and the risk of dying from heart conditions by 17%, when compared to a 35-hour to 40-hour work week.

References