Socio-demographic and occupational factors associated with workplace stress: a mixed-method study among white-collar employees of pharmaceutical industries in Bangladesh

This mixed-method study explored socio-demographic and occupational factors associated with workplace stress and its occupational reasons among white-collar employees of pharmaceutical industries in Bangladesh. Furthermore, it attempted to understand the employees’ perceptions about the reasons for developing workplace stress.

Among the study population, 85.24% feel moderate and high workplace stress. Each job department, work experience in the current company, and workhour has statistically significant association with workplace stress. Quantitatively female employees find unreasonable group & political pressures more stressful while compared to females; males feel responsibility for persons is more stress inducive. However, qualitative findings reveal that work-family conflict, stereotyping, and discrimination cause workplace stress among female employees. Responsibility for persons seems more stressful to higher managerial levels compared to the lower-level employees to whom under-participation, learning new things, and financial constraints feel more stress inducive. This study additionally reveals white-collar employees of marketing and sales departments feel more stressed as they are always in persuasion to meet the company’s target, need to manage more employees, and work extended hours.