Educational needs of employees in work-related stress management

BACKGROUND: Dynamic and intense socio-economic, scientific and technological development has both positive and negative effects on the business world. Due to increasing problems of work-related stress, the issue of stress management has arisen. Primary stress management and proactive interventions in work-related stress prevention are specifically activated. In this regard, the issue of educational needs of employees for the prevention of work-related stress is of particular importance. OBJECTIVE: The basic concern that has drawn our attention is whether employees generally show the desire and need to adopt the knowledge in the field of work-related stress prevention and relief and whether they are supported by the management of their business organization. METHODS: We used several methods to conduct this research: survey, scaling and comparative method. The comparative method was used for the analysis of legal documents in the field of occupational safety and health in six Balkan countries with the aim of determining the legal obligations of employers in managing workplace stress. The research population consisted of employees in small and medium-sized enterprises in the city of Kraljevo (the Republic of Serbia), while the research sample was determined by a random sampling method and included 450 respondents. RESULTS: Despite the recommendations of international organizations, the employers in most countries are not legally bound to deal with work-related stress management. The results have shown that there is a correlation between work-related risks/stressors and educational needs of employees for learning or acquiring knowledge in the field of work-related stress prevention. Employees express the desire to become acquainted with the possibilities of overcoming work-related stress. CONCLUSION: Employees' education and training have an invaluable role and considerable importance in primary, work-related stress management. The knowledge about the causes and mechanisms of work-related stress development is an important step towards its prevention. The research has shown that employees express the need for acquiring knowledge to prevent stress at work. In this regard, it is necessary to provide legally binding support of the manager in order to undertake the activities of work-related stress management. Interventions should target work-related stress at its source with a focus on prevention rather than an individual approach whose long-term benefits are uncertain.