About StressCafé

This is a unique portal for gathering and sharing important information about workplace stress associated with different occupations in Australia and overseas. Our aim is to develop understanding of this important and growing feature of working life and to assist in the evolution of workplace conditions which minimise worker stress and injury.

The StressCafé has something for everyone;
workers, academics, professionals and researchers.
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Latest News​
Leading WHS expert calls for psychosocial safety climate KPIs
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A leading safety and organisational psychology expert has called for psychosocial safety climate (PSC) to be adopted as a company KPI for ethical management, because of its effectiveness in preventing worker mental ill-health and absenteeism.
PSC measures how much an organisation values and prioritises the ​psychological health of workers, compared to "productivity imperatives" like downsizing and lean structures, Professor Maureen Dollard, one of the researchers who developed the PSC theory, told the Australian and New Zealand Society of Occupational Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting in Adelaide last week.Dollard is the director of the University of South Australia's Asia Pacific Centre for Work Health and Safety, and was involved in developing the PSC-12 scale that was used in the Australian Workplace Barometer project funded by Safe Work Australia.
​Please click here to read more. 
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Working conditions
Global working conditions: Australia
Working conditions in a global perspective
 Mikaela Owen, Tessa Bailey, Amy Zadow and Maureen Dollard, University of South Australia​
This report uses the Australian Workplace Barometer Survey (AWB; 2009-2015) to describe working conditions in the labour market in Australia. The AWB focus on employees. The AWB gathers detailed information over time on a broad range of issues relating to working conditions (including exposure to physical and psychosocial risks), work organisation, work–life balance, and health and well-being. It covers all industries and occupational groups including the public and private sectors.
NZ workplace study shows more than quarter of employees feel depressed much of the time
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the workplace can be a positive force for improving mental health. But many workers are exposed to work environments that are damaging to their psychological health and leave them burnt out. As the nature of work changes – including technological advancements, reduced job security, and blurred work/non-work boundaries – psychosocial harm is likely to increase.
Despite their popularity, many wellness initiatives directed towards “stressed” workers simply help people to cope a little longer with a toxic and damaging environment. The underlying risks remain. The New Zealand Workplace Barometer (NZWB) seeks to understand the causes of psychosocial risks - factors that encompass mental, emotional, social and spiritual dimensions of what it means to be healthy.
​Please click here to read more. 
MOD.​ Exhibition; Psychologically Safe Workplaces and  Happiness at work
Data from Australian Workplace Barometer (AWB) was used in the Museum of Discovery (MOD.) third exhibition exploring HEDONISM. Professor Maureen Dollard and Dr Ali Afsharian, from the Asia Pacific Centre for Work Health and Safety, presented research results on Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC) and Happiness in workplaces. They looked specifically at young workers' (aged 15-25 years) perceptions of PSC and happiness at work and how these varied by industry. Over 23,000 people visited the exhibition.
Please click here to read more. 
Psychosocial Safety Climate Factor – The new Buzzword
Have you heard the new buzzword – ‘Psychosocial safety climate factor’? If not, this is one you want to get your head around as you’ll be hearing a lot more of this term in to the future. It relates to the psychological health of workers. Worker’s compensation claims in Australia over the last 10 years indicate a steady increase in psychological injuries and these type of claims incur the largest proportion of expense in relation to compensation claims (Safe Work Australia: The Incidence of Accepted Workers’ Compensation Claims for Mental Stress in Australia, April 2013).
Please click here to read more. 

​International Labour Organization conference on Work and Well-being in the 21st Century

​Tessa Bailey and Maureen Dollard attended the International Labour Organization conference on Work and Well-being in the 21st Century and participated in a Special session from Secretary and Co-Chairs of ICOH WOPS on Preventing psychosocial risks at work. Tessa gave a summary of ICOH WOPS committee members and activities. Maureen presented a paper on hierarchical position influences on workers perception of psychosocial safety climate. Tessa presented a paper on Psychosocial Safety Climate Framework in a large Australian public sector organization.
​Maureen participated in an Invited Plenary Discussion, on technology and well-being in the world of work. Please watch the video below.
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Where are the psychological health and safety policy gaps?
Dr Rachael Potter
Date: Tuesday, 28 May, 2019 - 15:45
Category: Industry news
Location: National News
The Australian Institute of Health and Safety
​Please click here to read more. 
Maureen Dollard and Daniel Neser wrote an invited think piece for the ILO to celebrate its 100 year anniversary with discussion on the future of work. 

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PhD Students Research Project

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The role of Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC) is demonstrated as an important ingredient in organisational intervention. It is crucial to understand how employers and the organisation could nurture and improve better PSC at their workplaces and the appropriate strategies to translate the theory into practice. 
For more details, please download the PDF file below. ​
PhD_Research outline
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Current ​Honours Research Projects

Evaluating the Effectiveness of
​Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)

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The relationship between organisational workplaces and psychological wellbeing is an ever-increasing problem that continues to require attention and continuous evaluation. It is critical to understand the role and purpose of Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) and how they are utilised in organisations. This psychology honours research project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of EAPs on the emotional wellbeing of employees, in order to identify how the health and safety of people at work may be improved. ​
For more details, please download the PDF file below. 
Research outline
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Our Projects

E-STRESS IN AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES

This project aims to advance our theoretical and practical understanding of the well-being of staff and the impact of digital communication and competitive pressures faced by universities. An overarching goal of this project is to test the integration of Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC) and new Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory.
THE AUSTRALIAN WORKPLACE BAROMETER

The Australian Workplace Barometer (AWB) project aims to provide science driven evidence of Australian work conditions and their relationships to workplace health and productivity, through a national monitoring and surveillance system.
SCHOOL LEAVERS STUDY

From 2002-2012 , this survey gathered information from young people about their transition from adolescence to adult life. As it spanned a long time period, we explored how important aspects of young peoples lives changed over time and are related to their overall health and well-being.
Pathways to active citizenship
The study will explore education and employment outcomes among young people from refugee backgrounds aged between 15 and 24 years. The study will also identify the facilitators and barriers to successful transition from school into further education and employment, assess the extent of youth and family awareness of education, training and employment pathways, and identify available support systems.
FrontLine Healthcare Project
This study develop theoretical and practical understanding of how workplace physical and psychosocial facets combine to influence workplace health and safety healthcare industry.
​Future Industries Institute Project
How to cite this website: 
Centre for Workplace Excellence (CWeX) (2019) StressCafé [Promoting healthier, happier, safer, and more productive work environments]. Retrieved from https://www.stresscafe.com.au/
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