Stress can as much arise in a person at home as in the place where he or she works. While more work has been done and attention given to the stress that arises at home, that is not the case with the latter. Whether the person has a proper place and environment whether he gets job-satisfaction or not, whether he is properly understood by his seniors, whether he gets along well with his juniors, is there an extra burden on his physical or mental capabilities, all these are impor­tant questions having a bearing on the physical and mental health of the person.

Not only that. If he is not satisfied, there is likelihood that his anxiety and stress gets reflected on to others, leading to all round frustrations, inefficiency, slow-down strikes and destructiveness.

The following are some of the examples of the situations which cause mental stress.

Case 1
Miss D, 35, who had been a lively and contented woman with a reasonably good health, complained of irritability and difficulty in getting sleep for the past six months. Going through her history, the doctor found that she had he en in-charge of a section of a library. She had a staff of ten people working under her. The senior librarian was so much satisfied with her work that he had left the things to her entirely.

She bad already put in over ten years of service and was now feeling that she had developed skill and confidence to be' promoted to a higher post. But this was not forthcoming.

In this situation of dissatisfaction, she had unintentionally started taking leave for minor disorders as well, and when this came to the attention of the librarian, he caned her in order to find out what was wrong. He saw the situation clearly, and this lady got a promotion that she deserved. Within days of it, she became her normal self again. Her insomnia and irritability disappeared.

Case 2
Mr. A was an assistant manager in a large firm. He was efficient and popular. He was promoted as a manager, and now he had under him a staff numbering 200 and the welfare of the whole firm. A few weeks after the promotion, he started getting fits of palpitation and would keep awake at night for hours together.

In discussion with the doctor, it came out that he was not finding himself equal to the job of a manager. Hard decisions, effect of arguments with the staff members, his inability to carry his junior officers with him were telling upon his nerves. But he was not ready to admit that his symptoms were the result of all that. On the contrary, it had grown upon him that he had developed a physical ailment.

The situation was saved for everybody when he was asked to take leave, and in the meanwhile another person from outside was called in as a liaison officer, who on the return of the manager took over much of the responsibilities that the Board felt was beyond the capacity of the latter. The manager lost symptoms of his disease.

Case 3
Dr. K. L. was trained as a nuclear scientist. He had worked in a laboratory as in-charge of a unit and had proved to be a successful research worker. He had to his credit some original work which was appreciated by the authorities. As there was no research post in the institute to which he could be promoted, he was pro­moted and sent out on to an administrative post.

It was at this time that instead of becoming and looking happy and satisfied, he became morose, un­communicative and tense. He had never done any real administrative work and found that his juniors in the office were making a fool of him and m3king him take decisions which if he had known better, he would never do.

He took a hard decision. He put in an application that he wanted to be reverted to his previous post. His colleagues thought him to be a fool, but he regained in a short while his previous tranquility and job-satisfac­tion.

Case 4
In a readymade garments factory, the rate of job­ changing was so high that if irked the management. No sooner had a new entrant learnt the job, than he or she left it. Furthermore, the rate of breakage of the sewing machines and even accidents was fairly high which caused a huge loss of man- hours. The owner asked the advice of a factory-inspector, whose report revealed the following:

1. There was less space available to each worker than was needed.
2. Male and female workers worked in the same hall, a situation resented to by the female workers.
3. The canteen was a messy hole where all the workers had to sit huddled together during the lunch hour.
4. Toilets for male and female were situated adja­cently, which the female workers resented.
5. If a worker was late even for 10 minutes, his one       hour's pay was deducted from his wages.
6. The management did not give wages when they were expected to pay.

All these factors were telling upon the mental health of the workers, and as soon as they could pick up experience enough to go to another place, they availed of the opportunity.