The role of the manager in prevention of work related stress: a case of insurance companies in Nairobi

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of prevention of work related stress. The study aimed at crating awareness and developing management skills in stress management among managers in insurance firms in Nairobi. The objectives of this study were to identify ways that managers can prevent work related stress and establish the challenges the managers faces in preventing work related stress amongst staff.

The study was carried out in insurance companies based in Nairobi. The sample consisted of managers and staff who were selected using random sampling. They were given questionnaires to complete based on the research questions. From the respondents it was noted that stress management is not given a priority in the organization. Only 50% of the managers had attended stress management course while on the other hand none of the staff had been nominated in the last two years to attend a course in s tress management. None of the organizations had a policy on stress management. From the study it was noted that only 20% of the managers carried out stress audits, 30% carried out attitude surveys and employee counseling. Managers on the other hand face various challenges when helping staff deal with stress. Two of the major challenges which consisted of 20% of the manager’s responses were identification of stress amongst staff and ensuring that the work is evenly distributed. It was also noted that 40% felt that it was not their responsibility to handle work related stress issues. This is mainly due to their lack of training in stress management.