MANAGING STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE THROUGH HR PRACTICES IN IT INDUSTRY.

Abstract: Work-related stress arising from long working hours, heavy workloads, tight deadlines, and the need to continuously update one's knowledge with new technologies is increasing rapidly in the IT sector. In such situations, workers get exposed to high levels of stress which causes their mental health to deteriorate and organizational effectiveness to decline. As a result, it is imperative to determine the HR practices which help in managing and reducing workplace stress. This study aims primarily to explore the link between work, related stress and chosen HR practices in the IT sector. It centres around three main aspects: working, life balance, job autonomy, and workload. Working, life balance is about a person's ability to cope efficiently with work and personal life, job autonomy deals with how much freedom employees have in deciding the way they carry out tasks, and workload is the amount of work and duties that a person is expected to undertake.

The methodology for this research is mostly quantitative, and data from employees of IT companies will be gathered by way of a survey. Afterward, the data will be processed through factor analysis, regression analysis, and correlation tests to discover the association between HR practices and stress levels. This research's results can be of great use to HR managers in: shaping well, targeted policies and programs aiming at alleviating employee stress, enhancing work satisfaction, boosting work performance, and building a green work environment that IT industry employees can thrive in.

Keywords: Workplace Stress, Work-Life Balance, Job Autonomy, Workload, HR Practices, IT Industry