Archive for healthy workplace
The Effect of Economics on Worker Well-Being
Posted by: | CommentsA recent survey by Gallup found that a person’s well-being is more heavily affected by sustained unemployment than the death of a spouse. I know this is a stat that most of us here at Monar found to be shocking, but after deeper thought actually makes some sense. While the death of a spouse is a traumatic and awful life event, it is often an uncontrollable event. Sustained unemployment, on the other hand, could be seen as a personal failure to succeed at one’s job. Is it this perceived level of control that affects one’s ability to recover from a traumatic experience? *Note- This is my own conclusion and not taken from Gallup’s study on overall well-being.*
Question: A person’s career obviously plays a large role in overall well-being. Given the economic downturn of recent years, what does this say about its longterm affects on the health of those in the workforce? What, if anything, can employers do to mediate this effect?
I/O & a 17th Century Saint, Part 2
Posted by: | CommentsJessica is not the only one who feels strongly about building healthy organizations. The National Institute on Drug Abuse illustrated their support by allocating grants totaling $7.5 million to Dr. Lillian Eby allowing her to study, among other issues, burnout and job stress amongst Drug Abuse counselors (80% of who are in recovery themselves). Even yet, some may still be wondering….what does this have to do with me, why should I care?
As Dr. Eby stated, everyone has the right to be treated with respect and dignity. This tenant is not only the basis for Principle E of the American Psychological Association’s Code of Ethics, but it also serves as a part of corporate social responsibility. Additionally, job burnout and stress have serious financial implications for organizations. In the past year alone employees have missed 156 million workdays, companies have spent $40 billion on health-related work-issues, and at least 500 lawsuits have been filed with payouts totally between $40 – $50 billion.
Naturally, the next question is… how can IO Psychology make a difference? In part, we can continue doing what we do now – working towards maximizing the fit between employees and organizations and advocating for clean and safe workplaces. Moreover, we can encourage companies to take interest in the well-being of their employees and in creating work conditions that satisfy psychological needs (i.e. developing positive relationships, belonging to a team, being valued for creativity, etc…). Training and development programs can be created to improve individual skills. Perhaps most importantly – we can shift the focus of research to the groups who need us the most. After all, is that not why many of us first took interest in psychology, so that we may be able to help those who need us the most?
I/O Psychology and a 17th Century Saint
Posted by: | CommentsYesterday Christy and I attended a lecture at DePaul University on Sustaining a Healthy Workplace by Lillian Eby, Ph.D of the University of Georgia. The lecture coincides with the 350th anniversary of the death of St. Vincent DePaul. Now for those of you who aren’t up to speed on your catholic saints, St. Vincent devoted his life to helping the overlooked and the marginalized. St. Vincent asked, “What must be done?” to help make life better? As it pertains to sustaining a healthy workplace, what must I/O psychologists do to help the overlooked and marginalized?
When I/O psychologists consider a healthy workplace, they typically think about the psychological environment, such as positive relationships and open communication. But there is another aspect that is often overlooked, the physical environment. Studies often focus on white, male, middle managers that tend to work in clean and safe physical environments. The physical environment becomes a non-issue, yet in “dirty jobs,” jobs that are physically, socially, or morally tainted, the physical environment is very relevant.
Dr. Eby tackles the physical environment in her work with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). She and her team study workforce issues within drug treatment centers. While we have all heard of the luxurious drug treatment centers attended by celebrities, the reality is that most treatment centers are located in very gritty neighborhoods and are in very poor condition. The clean and safe environment is not an option for employees. This is where I/O psychologists are needed most. Discussion of the conditions of the physical environment was in relation to job stress and burnout for the counselors as opposed to the clients. I think the point Dr. Eby makes is that as I/O psychologists, we are accustomed to working in clean, white-collar areas and perhaps have just missed how the physical environment can influence one’s stress level or the occurrence of burnout.
Dr. Eby went further into the specifics of her research, but it is the simplicity of the call that struck me. I went into my school’s library database and searched for articles relating to drug treatment centers. Almost all of them related to patients or treatments within the centers. Very few if any related to the workforce. I/O psychologists can offer interesting insights into all types of jobs, but as St. Vincent DePaul would ask, “What must we do?” Where can we help the most to aid the overlooked and marginalized? We have work to do!
