| December 2005 |
| Helping Stressed-Out Employees |
| Jean Fisher, NTEU National Field Representative |
| Stress has physical symptoms—a speeding heart rate, quick breathing, and spikes in adrenalin and other stress hormones in the bloodstream—surveys have found 26 to 40 percent of workers describe themselves as “very” or “extremely” stressed by work. |
| What factors contribute to high stress at work? |
| People react differently to stressful conditions, but some work-related factors will cause most employees to experience significant, continuous stress. Research findings seriously question the commonly-held belief that high-level, high status jobs are the most stressful. In fact, employees who have little control over their work decisions in the face of high demands by management are more likely to suffer from job stress. In government, call site jobs are one example of this, with their electronic call monitoring, pressure to increase production, detailed call handling instructions, and closely-monitored breaks. |
| Another common workplace stressor is bullying. It involves behaviors that give the perpetrator dominance over the target: yelling, ridicule, incessant criticism, and degrading remarks. Bullying deflates an employee’s sense of self-worth and contributes to a feeling of loss of control. In poorly-managed work units, managers may be permitted—or pressured—to use bullying tactics to meet production goals. |
| Other sources of workplace stress include job insecurity, conflicting or uncertain job expectations, excessive responsibility, unexpected changes, an unsafe or unpleasant work environment, and lack of co-worker and supervisory support. |
| According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, mounting scientific evidence shows that unremittingly stressful workplaces create short-term aggravations and harm long-term health. Early signs of prolonged stress include sleep difficulties, upset stomach, headaches, short temper, trouble concentrating and low morale. Less visible but more serious health consequences include high blood pressure, heart disease, musculoskeletal disorders and psychological disorders. One researcher discovered that one out of five people who experienced bullying at work showed symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. |
| Of course, some employees face personal issues that burden them with considerable stress, possibly detracting from their work performance. But this is no justification for management to treat them abusively or disrespectfully. In fact, bullying will boost stress levels and exacerbate their problems. |
| Anti-worker policies are also to blame. |
| Although it’s easy to blame workplace stress on bad managers, and they are a cause, there are also structural and political reasons why some federal workplaces resemble a pressure cooker. |
| We’re in the fifth year of a strenuously anti-government and anti-employee administration. Mandates to contract out federal jobs and under-fund agency budgets have pressed career managers to produce more with less, increasing pressure on frontline employees. |
| A long history of Federal civil service and pay rights were discarded at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Defense when, at the administration’s urging, Congress passed legislation severely limiting collective bargaining and disciplinary appeal rights. The GS pay scale will be done away with in favor of a so-called pay-for-performance scheme that eliminates merit-based pay decisions by injecting a high degree of subjectivity, and therefore potential abuse, into pay decisions. These changes affect nearly half the federal workforce. NTEU has been fighting the DHS changes, and legislative and political activities of NTEU chapters are essential to this effort. |
| Recently the administration unveiled a misnamed proposal, the Working for America Act, to extend similar changes to the remaining federal workforce. Is there a better stress recipe than this: pay raises entirely depend on employees’ appraisals, complete supervisory discretion to write appraisals, no third party discretion to overturn unjust firings, and unions barred from negotiating key areas of employees’ work lives? |
| How to respond? |
| Stressed-out employees suffer from real emotional injuries. As mentioned, the emotional strain commonly produces physical symptoms. Injuries heal best when treated by trained professionals. Tactfully but firmly recommend the stressed employee seek professional counseling. Resources include federal health plans and employee assistance programs (EAP). |
| Organize in the workplace to clean up environmental stressors
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| If a sense of helplessness is a cause of stress, getting coworkers involved to fight workplace problems can be the cure. Planning, flexibility, and persistence; your strategy and tactics are mainly limited by your creativity and organizing efforts. Work within the parameters of the contract. Beef up your chapter’s political and legislative programs. |
| And, lastly, take care of yourself. Get enough sleep, eat healthy, relax with family and friends, and enjoy your favorite hobbies. Besides contributing to a quality life, these activities are good stress-busters for people in demanding jobs. |
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