IMPACT OF JOB STRESS ON THE HEALTH OF BANK EMPLOYEES IN WARRI, DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Job stress is a social public health phenomenon that can be caused by any type of physical or emotional stimulus or situation. Stress negatively affects employees within the workforce and can become unmanageable or overwhelming. Workplace stresses are associated with the incidence of different health outcomes. This paper examined the impact of job stress on the health of employees in the banking sector in Warri, Nigeria. The objective of this study was to identify the job stressors that affect the health of workers and examine the relationship between job stress and health status of employees. The job demands – control model was adopted as the theoretical framework. The quantitative method of data collection was adopted in the study. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study while bank employees in Warri constituted the unit of analysis for this study. The study selected 271 respondents who were administered questionnaire in commercial banks in Warri, Delta State. Data collected for the study were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study found that employees in the banking sector are faced with job stressors like workload, inadequate break time, limited promotion opportunities and the resultant effect of these stressors include high blood pressure, constant headache, continuous feeling of anxiety, sleeplessness, depression, irritability, ulcer and chest pain. The study recommends that management should abate job stressors in the workplace by introducing workplace schemes such as teamwork and physical activities for employees which is extremely important for combating workplace–related stress as solutions to the challenges of job stress created by the banking institutions in Warri, Delta State.