Employee Stress, Safety, and Health

Lakshmi MenonPSYC 473A

Professor Morrissey

Employee Stress

• Sources of stress• Intrinsic work factors• Role variables• Interpersonal relationships• Career Development

• Lack of control• New Stressors: downsizing, new technology, new generation

Strains

• Job-related strains• Lack of motivation low performance and high absences

• Emotional strains• Burnout: emotional exhaustion depersonalization reduced personal accomplishment

• Physiological strains• Lead to serious illnesses such as heart disease• Depression

Coping Techniques• Coping- methods of handling or reducing stress.• Problem-focused coping- actions that are aimed for solving problems.• Emotion-focused coping- cognitive strategies that decrease the

emotional effects of the problem.• Social support is extremely important.• Many companies offer employee assistance programs (EAPs).

• Assessment, short-term counseling, and referral counseling for employees and family members

• In the article “Effects of Occupational Stress Management Intervention Programs: A Meta-Analysis,” by Richardson & Rothstein (2008), they tested the effectiveness of stress management methods. They looked at cognitive-behavioral, relaxation, organization, etc. methods. Their results showed that cognitive-behavioral programs were the most effective.

Sexual Harassment

• Sexual Harassment- Any form of unwelcome verbal, visual, or physical contact in a sexual nature, and affects working conditions or creates an adverse work environment.

• Sexual favors, bribery, seductive behavior, sexual coercion• Employers responsible for preventing sexual harassment. • To prevent this, employers should have a clear sexual

harassment policy in their handbook, monitor the workplace, and take all complaints seriously.

• Leads to poor performance, low morale, and more importantly—lawsuits!

Gender Discrimination

• In some cases, women do not receive the same wage and occupational range as men do.

• Glass ceiling- a barrier in advancing in the workplace for women and minorities.

Employee Safety

• Employers responsibility• Safe environment• Occupational safety and health administration

(OSHA).• Created in 1970• Prevent injuries, illnesses, and fatality in the workplace.

• Sick building syndrome (SBS)- syndrome associated with the individual’s office building.

• Causes: poor air quality, ventilation and heating systems, contaminants of outgassing, mold

• Symptoms: skin and eye irritation, neurotoxic problems

Workplace Accidents

• July 6, 1988- The Piper Alpha, an American oil rig, exploded and killed 167 men.

• October 29, 1989- There were numerous explosions near the Houston ship channel and killed 23 and injured over 300 people. The blast happened during a maintenance check on the chemical plant’s polyethylene reactor.

• March 23, 2005- There was a gas explosion at a British Petroleum oil refinery. The causes were poor working conditions and damaged safety devices. 15 people died and over 100 were injured.

Sweatshops• Workers endure long hours, low wage, and dangerous working

conditions.• Child labor laws are violated.• Employees subject to employer abuse without protection.• Can be found anywhere. However, it is rampant in developing countries. Developing countries encourage employment in factories.

Sweatshops

• Numerous companies have come under attack for using sweatshops such as Nike, Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch, Ikea, Walmart, Pier 1 Imports, Old Navy, etc.

• Here’s a link illustrating how Nike exploits its workers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9a_D-azUogg

Workplace Violence

• Strong relationship between job stress and workplace violence

• High chances of being assaulted at work are seen in:

• Being in contact with the public• Being involved with exchanging money• Delivering products, services• Mobile workplace• Being near volatile people• Working alone or with a few people

Workplace Violence• Patrick Sherrill worked for the U.S Postal Service• In 1986, he killed 14 employees and committed suicide.• Sherrill constantly made errors in his work and the day before the shooting, the

supervisors discussed his mistakes.• This shooting coined the phrase “going postal.”• The article “ABB Shooting: Economy may play a role in workplace violence,” by

Mark Guarino (2010), the poor economy might be to blame for the increase in workplace violence.

• Timothy Hendron worked at ABB Group and was suing the company and its trustee for unreasonable fees associated with their retirement benefits. He killed 4 people, including himself.

• ““There’s more pressure put on people recently because of the economy. More people have faced a dissolving of their whole career. It’s too hard to face for some people. When you have 23 years invested, that’s a lot,” Larry Chavez, specialist in workplace violence.

2009 map of shootings at the workplace in the U.S. www.cbsnews.com

Workplace Violence

• People who experience high levels of stress at work do not possess proper coping strategies.

• Research has shown that employees who display violent behavior have not been reprimanded in the past and have role models who were also violent.

• Employees who don’t feel responsibility over what happens in their lives often react violently towards negative events.