The nature and complexity of occupational stress have been
addressed in numerous research articles and books. This
literature indicates that stress is a common problem in work
settings. and can lead to physical and psychological ill health;
that stress is often determined by personal appraisals of work
environment situations (one person's meat is another person's
poison); and that stress is costing companies substantial
amounts of money in the terms of health care costs. productivity
losses, and worker compensation claims. Increasingly. more and
more companies are exploring ways to deal with occupational
stress. There are three distinct approaches to the problem of
occupational stress, each addressing different aspects of the
problem. The most common approach is to provide treatment
services to troubled workers. usually in the form of employee
assistance programs. This is a reactive approach, in as much as
the health problems already exist, and the main efforts are
focused on treatment of the health outcomes.