STRESS WORK

A MODEL OF STRESS

ORGANIZATIONAL APPROACHES FOR MANAGING STRESS Improved personnel selection and job placement Training Use of realistic goal setting Redesigning of jobs Increased employee involvement Improved organizational communication Offering employee sabbaticals Establishment of corporate wellness programs

CAUSES OF WORK-FAMILY CONFLICT At an individual level, the most common causes of work-family conflict are, 1)the desire to be successful in multiple roles in life 2) family characteristics e.g. lack of support from spouse, major responsibility for childrearing 3) work schedule inflexibility 4) work-role stressors e.g. ambiguous work-roles At an organizational level, the most common causes of work- family conflict are, 1)Job control e.g. the amount of control employees have to cope with job demands 2)Organizational and manager support 3)Work overload

TIME-BASED CONFLICT Time-based conflict occurs when role pressures stemming from the two different domains compete for the individual's time. E.g. requiring employees to work late with little notice might make it difficult for employees to meet family obligations, like picking up a child at daycare. Strain-based conflict occurs when the strain experienced in one role domain interferes with effective performance of role behaviors in the other domain. E.g. a father who is anxious about his child's illness might not be able to fully concentrate on his job as copy editor, causing him to make mistakes in his work. STRAIN-BASED CONFLICT Behavior-based conflict is described as conflict stemming from incompatible behaviors demanded by competing roles. For example, a manager in a financial services firm might be expected to be aggressive, unemotional, and hard-driving, but these same behaviors in the family domain would most likely lead to conflict with family members. BEHAVIOR-BASED CONFLICT

CONSEQUENCES OF WORK-FAMILY CONFLICT The most common outcomes of work-family conflict for individuals are: higher instances of job and family distress poor health outcomes decreased job and life satisfaction. A decrease in job satisfaction is, arguably, one of the most significant outcomes. The most common outcomes of work-family conflict for organizations are: lower job performance, decreased morale lower organizational commitment, less job involvement increased absenteeism, turnover rates, and burnout

WORK-PLACE POLICIES Workplace policies designed to decrease work-family conflict are increasingly prevalent. These policies (e.g., flextime, part-time, flex-place) are designed to increase flexibility, improve employee recruitment, retention, morale, and productivity and reduce employee distress, burnout, and unplanned absences. However, many employees hesitate to take advantage of such options fearing long-term negative career consequences. These fears are reduced in workplaces in which there is strong top-down support. This support needs to be reflected in a host of related policies addressing work design, performance review, promotion, seniority, and benefits. Other interventions may include: giving employees more decision-making power, developing more economical ways of performing tasks, job re-design, or implementing new work systems.

Bullying at workplace

Bullying at work may be defined as repeated behavior, actions and practices directed at one or more workers, which may be carried out deliberately or unconsciously, but which are unwanted targets causing humiliation, offence, and distress, and which may interfere with job performance and/or cause an unpleasant working environment. Who does it impact? Bullying impacts everyone within an organization, not just those people who are being targeted. It also impacts the families and friends of those being bullied. People who witness bullying are also impacted by this behavior.

Is it illegal? But the biggest problem is to prove & to be heard.

IT IS A BIG COST FOR COMPANIES Lost productivity (over $8 million) Turnover (more than $16 million) Litigation (minimum legal expenses $104,000 per case with settlements ranging from $225,000 to $1.4 million) Disability (more than $114,000 with an estimated 18 percent of cases involving bullying) IT IS EVERYWHERE.. It is everyone’s concern.

EXAMPLES OF BULLYING Unwarranted or invalid criticism Blame without factual justification Being treated differently than the rest of your work group Being sworn at Exclusion or social isolation Being shouted at or being humiliated Excessive monitoring or micro- managing Being given work unrealistic deadlines

BULLYING VERSUS STRONG MANAGEMENT Is the criticism constructive or destructive ? Is the criticism about the mistake or about the person ? Is it designed to make the person aware of their error and to get it right in future or just to humiliate them?

SOME FACTS… 61 % of bullying cases resulted in turnover. (it risks the loss of great talent, money, resources, and a good reputation) 25 % of cases were not investigated. (Employers are either too busy) 31 % of cases considered not serious. (Unless someone is being bullied because they are a member of a protected class, they are not as legally and socially polarizing) 16% of employers defended or encouraged bullying (“only the strong survive”) Bullying costs an estimated $250 million annually in the United States alone.

SOME MORE NUMBERS …… 27% of Americans (37 million) have suffered abusive conduct at work; another 21% have witnessed it; 72% are aware that workplace bullying happens

HOW TO SOLVE Encourage everyone at the workplace to act in a respectful and professional manner towards others. Have a workplace policy that includes a reporting system. Educate everyone that bullying is a serious matter. Train managers and supervisors in how to deal with complaints and potential situations. Encourage them to address situations promptly, whether or not a formal complaint has been filed. Have an impartial third party help with a resolution if necessary. Act as soon as possible. Treat all complaints seriously, and deal with complaints promptly and confidentially.