Technology has influenced many changes in how we think and how we interact in our everyday lives and in the workplace. In our fast paced world where the internet, cell phones and email have become as common as the ball point pen, gone are the days of waiting. Everything is accessible at a "click" of the mouse or button. Multi-million dollar contracts are seamlessly processed and negotiated instantaneously via email, fax machine, and videoconferencing. One can conduct their finances on-line eliminating the need to meet with a financial advisor, set up an appointment and drive to the location to meet with them. Nowadays, we are operating at warp speed at the speed of light. Coincidentally, the modern day workplace has also become a technology fortress where employees interact through email, fax machines, Fed-Ex and videoconferencing, just to name a few. Although these methods have become convenient for some, it has also become a double-edged sword because in a fast paced working environment, operating at such a high speed can produce workplace stress.
In the article, Workplace Stress can result in Apathy, Illness, Expert Says, workplace stress can be defined as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker (Erickson, 2002). Workplace stress can lead to poor health and even injury. Stress in the workplace is fast becoming an epidemic, contributing to increases in burnout and employee health concerns. The results are lower productivity, higher absenteeism, greater turnover and increased health insurance claims. Workplace stress can be attributed to many factors such as heavy workloads, long working hours, layoff potential, job demands, and greater employer expectations than ever before. Workplace stress can cause a variety of illnesses, both psychological and physical.