Article isw Corresponding author: Lina Vyas, Department of Public and Social Administration, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Email: salvyas@cityu.edu.hk International Social Work 54(6) 832–851 © The Author(s) 2010 Reprints and permission: sagepub. co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0020872810382684 isw.sagepub.com Frazzled care for social workers in Hong Kong: Job stress circumstances and consequences Lina Vyas City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Sabrina Luk University of Birmingham, UK Abstract The meaning and nature of work has undergone significant change across the world, making job related stress a routine part of employment for many people. Social workers who are charged with the task of easing the chaotic lives of service users can also be subject to considerable job stress which adversely affects their personal lives. The current research identifies the stressors experienced by social workers serving in an NGO and also considers their consequences. Job stress was found to negatively influence not only social workers’ self-development, family life and job satisfaction, but also their physical and mental health. Keywords job stress, NGO social workers, organizational policy, stressors, workload