JOB STRESS AND COPING TECHNIQUES AMONG BANK WORKERS IN IBADAN NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT, IBADAN, OYO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Banking job has been identified as a very stressful occupation in Nigeria due to long working hours, high targets, work overload, intense competition, difficult customers and unfavourable policies. Currently in Nigeria, there are no known policies to prevent and control issues such as job stress. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate job stress and coping techniques among bank workers in Ibadan North Local Government. The study was a descriptive cross sectional study. One hundred and forty bank employees from 13 banks were selected using a three stage sampling technique. In the first stage, a branch of each of the banks among the 34 banks in the local government was randomly selected, in the second stage, 85.0% of the banks were randomly selected, and in the final stage, purposive sampling was used to select consented respondents in each of the banks. Data were collected using validated, pretested self-administered questionnaire which contains five sections namely: socio-demographic information; knowledge of the causes, symptoms, and effects of job stress; the peculiar stressors in the banking sector; health promotion strategies to reduce stress in the workplace; and stress coping techniques among bank workers. A 12-point, knowledge scale was used to determine the level of knowledge of respondents. Knowledge scores ranging from 0≤3, >3≤8, >8≤12 were classified as poor, fair, and good, respectively. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Chi square tests at p=0.05 level of significance. Findings showed that the age range of the respondents was between 21 to 46 years with a mean age of 30.7± 5.0 years and half (50.0%) of the respondents were females. With respect to knowledge, half (50.0%) of the respondents demonstrated poor knowledge on causes and effects of job stress, 42.9% showed a fair level of knowledge and only 7.1% demonstrated good knowledge. Findings show that major stressors in banking sector included work overload (80.7%), lack of sleep (71.4%), no break times during work (58.6%). Less than half (45.7%) agreed that health promotion is taken into account during the training and retraining and few reported that work is organised so that staff avoid being continually overworked. A large proportion (70.7%) listened to music as a stress coping technique, some (42.9%) used physical exercise as a coping technique, 15.7% consumed alcohol, majority (78.6%) prayed, and a predominant proportion (71.4%) watched television. A statistical significant relationship was also found between gender of bank workers and their corresponding level of stress. It is apparent that very few of the bank workers have an in depth knowledge of the causes, symptoms, and effects of job stress on mental and physical health hence awareness of the effects of prolonged exposure to job stress should be raised among bank workers. Furthermore, the major causes of job stress among bankers are work overload, long working hours, and lack of sleep. Advocacy for policy change concerning workload and working hours should be made to the management of the banks.