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Being involved in a relationship involving conflict is difficult. It doesn’t matter whether it is a personal or workplace relationship – it is never pleasant. In these relationships, even the most casual interactions can trigger a stress reaction.
For couples going through a divorce or parents who are raising their children in two homes have no choice but to continue to interact (more…)
If you don’t experience even a little stress when you walk into a courtroom, you are either the lawyer who has loves to litigate, or you have just said, “All rise,” for the fourteenth time that day. For the rest of us stress is almost an automatic reaction when thinking about appearing in front of the judge, even when it is not the first time. The uncertainty, the formality of the court room, how can divorce court be anything but stressful? (more…)
A recent study by Linda Waite, PhD with the University of Chicago Department of Sociology, asserts that divorce has a profound negative impact on the health of those whose marriage ends – just as the death of a spouse has on the surviving spouse.
Although this study raises an interesting point, it is likely not a clear argument that those who choose to divorce are (more…)
An interesting lawsuit in Chicago serves as an example of the negative side of litigation: cost, time, emotional toll, and lack of control. It seems more likely that all sides would win through mediation.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Chicago condominium owner, Mary Jo Stevens, who has a long history of debilitating panic attacks, has found great relief through the use and constant companionship of a 10-pound therapeutic dog named Boo. She reports that in the 14 months she has owned Boo her panic attacks have decreased from multiple times a week to about once a week. (more…)
Despite the best efforts of employers and human resource personnel, personal problems and interpersonal conflicts continue to impact employees in the workplace.
Stressed and conflict-involved employees cost employers millions of dollars a year, and perhaps one of the biggest workplace costs is not absenteeism, but the loss of productivity as a result of distracted employees: Employees who are stressed and distracted by unresolved personal problems, employees who are experiencing conflicts (more…)
Conflict is expensive. Regardless of the nature of the dispute, conflict is expensive.
Divorce is no exception. Couples choosing the traditional route of a litigated divorce can spend thousands of dollars in divorce court. Choosing mediation versus litigation – even choosing mediation versus just living with the conflict – greatly lessens the costs. Even high-conflict (more…)
There has been much discussion about the the recent TSA airport security changes – or the “enhanced” pat down and the full body scanner. As a result of the new security procedures there has been an backlash against the TSA and the employees on the front lines who are implementing the new policies.
There continues to be outrage against the procedures and most of the coverage is from the standpoint of the passengers:
For passengers there is outrage – and the more they hear or read, the more frustrated and out of control they feel. For passengers this means increased stress, especially when waiting in already what can feel like interminably log lines.
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What is not discussed as often is the workplace stress that the TSA agents (TSOs) experience on a regular basis, as well as the impact of the recent procedural changes on that workplace stress. However, the work environment and duties of the TSO could be one of the most stressful jobs available on US soil.
In light of the recent public uproar, an important question is how is TSA addressing the workplace stress experienced by its employees?
Stress is a threat to health – few would find that surprising. However many employers do not have a clear sense of how workplace stress negatively and specifically impacts the health of their employees.
A recent study reported at the 2010 American Heart Association conference in Chicago, found that a woman’s incidence of heart disease, including heart attack and congestive heart failure, is notably increased for those who experience high levels of workplace stress.
17,415 women participated in the 10-year study, by Dr. Michelle Albert at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. The women averaged 57 years of age, were healthy, and employed full or part-time at the onset of the study. Most women in the study were health professionals and included working women of various professional levels.
The findings indicate that those women whose jobs, regardless of skill level, who’s self-report in 1999 indicated higher levels of workplace stress experienced more health problems when revisited 10 years later. The highest-stress group had a 40% greater overall risk of heart problems including heart attacks, strokes, and heart-related conditions resulting in necessary surgery.
Another important aspect to this study is that the identified workplace stress came not just from jobs that are inherently stressful or demanding, but from jobs where the employee experiences little control over her duties.
The findings demonstrate the value of employers actively working to reduce the experience of workplace stress on its employees – not just to impact the workplace today, but also to decrease health related costs in the future.
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Additional Reading
As potential passengers worry about privacy issues related to the newly installed full-body scanners at our airports, it is interesting to consider the experience of TSA personnel being trained on the use of the machines.
Part of the training exercise included, apparently, TSA staff or at least some TSA screeners (TSOs) being scanned by the new imaging devices as their coworkers and supervisors looked on at the resultant image through the viewer. (more…)
There is a lot of talk these days about employee stress. Employees report feeling overwhelmed with higher employer expectations for less pay. The news is full of headlines about long-term unemployment, and most have either experienced unemployment recently or know someone who has. It is reasonable to assume that current economic conditions increase stress experienced in the workplace.
Workplace stress is not new – nor is the effect of workplace stress on employee health and personal lives. This is an important consideration for employers. According The American Institute on Stress, it is estimated that employee stress cost American employers approximately $300 billion a year in absenteeism, lower productivity, rising health and workers compensation costs, and other expenses.
Although all employers are subject to the costs of employee stress, some jobs seem intrinsically more stressful than others.
What are the most stressful jobs? This seems to depend on who you talk to. Stress is a uniquely experienced occurrence. In the late 80’s, I remember hearing that the most stressful job in America was that of air traffic controller. Is it? How is that determined? I imagine that air traffic controllers do experience a great deal of job-related stress, but more than a cop whose beat is in one of the highest crime areas in the country?
The question seems to remain: What is the most stressful job in America? How is this determined?
