Emotions in the workplace Sara L. Teske Siena Heights University January 2015

Emotion in the workplace Interaction with co-workers and supervision is necessary in most jobs. Workplace relationships, personal and professional, create a potential for wide array of emotions, positive and negative(Miller, 2015) Tension between private and public relationship Negative emotions spread Conflicting Allegiances Emotional Obligations

Emotional Labor – Jobs, in which, workers are expected to display certain feelings to satisfy role expectations (Miller, 2015) Surface Acting – superficial behaviors Deep Acting – realistic emotional display Imagine friendly environments Sympathizing with customers/clients Emergency Call Center personnel, corrections officer, police officers, judges, and firefighters Potential outcomes – stress, anxiety, resentment Emotional Labor

Emotional Work - Genuinely expressing emotion on the job (Miller, 2015) Professionals – healthcare, human services, and education Deal with a ton of emotion Compassionate Communication – connect with clients by being empathetic, responding in a way to make a difference Emotional Work

Stress and burnout Emotions in workplace cause stress and “burnout” Stressors – environment factors that are difficult for someone to deal with, creating strain on the individual which, in turn, causes “burnout” (Miller, 2015) Burnout – some ongoing stressors that contribute to burnout are: Emotional Exhaustion Depersonalization Lack of Personal Accomplishment Stress and burnout

Emotional Exhaustion – Unable to face another day at work, frustration and fatigue Depersonalization – service workers objectify client to protect themselves Lack of Personal Accomplishment – seeing oneself as a failure and ineffective Dimensions of burnout

Have you become cynical or critical at/about your workplace? Have you become irritable/impatient with your supervisor, coworkers or clients? Do you have to drag yourself to work? Do you lack job satisfaction? Do you lack energy to be consistently productive? Are you using food, drugs, or alcohol to cope with your job? Are you experiencing unexplained headaches and backaches? Have your sleeping or eating habits changed? Signs of Burnout

Causes of workplace Burnout Lack of Control Unclear Expectations Dysfunctional Workplace Dynamics Poor Job Fit Extremes in Activity Lack of support Work-Life Imbalanced Large Consequences for Failure

Professions with High Burnout rates Physicians (50% Oncologists, 60% Palliative Care Doctors) (Creagan, 2014) Nurses Social Workers Teachers Attorneys Police Officers Professions with High Burnout rates

Consequences of workplace stress/burnout The Mayo Clinic(2014), indicates that a number of physical and mental health problems are caused from burnout. $3-$5 Billion per year indirect and direct costs from burnout global problem Can cause fatigue, insomnia, stroke, obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, substance abuse, depression, and negative spillover into home life. 75%-90% of Doctor’s visits are stress related.

Coping with burnout/workplace stress Schrupp (2005) indicates that the following things help mange workplace stress and burnout. Employer Can Help By Providing: Flexibility Incentives to encourage good health Books about self-meditation Employee Can Help By: Exercising Regularly Taking Time for Leisurely Activities Getting enough sleep Being Optimistic Having Realistic Expectations Humor Relying on Support Systems Having strong Faith System

References Creagan, E. (2014). Outwitting burnout. 11 Dec 2014. www.mayoclinic.org/health-living/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642 Miller, K.(2015). Organizational communication: Approaches and processes. Stanford, Connecticut: Cengage Learning. Pg 195-209. Schrupp, L. (2005). Coping with workplace stress. Business Mexico, (14/15) 12/1. http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.sienaheights.edu:2048/docview/1971292 99?accountid=28644