Risky Behavior - Totally Stressed By Noon

Your job can cause stress (and so can being unemployed). The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) defines job stress as "the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker." Job stress, says NIOSH, is not the same as challenge, which can be invigorating. The early warning signs of job stress are headache, sleep disturbances, difficulty in concentrating, short temper, upset stomach, job dissatisfaction, and low morale.

The chart shows survey statistics reflecting stress on the job. Two-thirds of workers reported stress in degrees ranging from "quite a bit" to "extremely."³⁹ Nearly 25% of workers polled (Gallup poll of 1,000 adults employed full- or part time) were "generally at least somewhat angry at work." Reasons why workers were off the job on short notice: 21% were actually sick, 19% felt stressed, and 19% felt they deserved a day off ("entitlement mentality").⁴⁰

The Bureau of Labor Statistics offers data indicating that service is the most stressful type of work, with 35% of service workers' lost days due to stress. If left untreated, workplace stress can lead to workplace rage or violence. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Americans suffered an annual average of 1.7 million violent workplace victimizations between 1993-1999, including about 900 on-the-job homicides.

What brings this on? NIOSH finds that "job stress results from the interaction of the worker and the conditions of work." The relative importance of the two is debatable; "NIOSH favors the view that working conditions play a primary role in causing job stress." NIOSH delineates possible causes: (1) Heavy workload, long work hours/shift work; hectic/routine tasks with little inherent meaning that do not utilize workers' skills/provide little sense of control. (2) Lack of worker participation in decision making, poor communication, lack of family-friendly policies. (3) Poor social environment, lack of support or help from coworkers/supervisors. (4) Conflicting/uncertain job expectations, too much responsibility.(5) Job insecurity, lack of opportunity for growth/advancement/promotion; rapid changes for which workers are unprepared.

Juliet Schor (The Overworked American, 1992) concluded that in 1990 Americans worked nearly a month longer per year than in 1970. Less than ten years later, "Workers in the United States [were] putting in more hours than anyone else in the industrialized world" (International Labor Organization). In 2000, the average American worked 1,978 hours, up from 1,942 in 1990 (nearly a week longer).⁴¹ At least 64 million Americans use computers on the job. A survey of 501 workers⁴² found that nearly half believe technology increases stress and 51% report that "the possibility of losing documents due to computer crashes causes them 'a lot' or 'some' stress." This can lead to "IT (information technology) rage"; 83% of IT managers surveyed reported that they had seen outraged workers attack their computer equipment — the most common targets were keyboards, followed by mouses, then monitors. The knowledge that one's every keystroke is being monitored can cause stress, as can the fear of being replaced by a computer. Computers also cause repetitive stress injury.

Having come to the end of our overlong and stressful day on the job (unless we work the night shift), some 115 million of us head for home. Is there more stress to come?

Sources: NIOSH, Stress at Work, www.cdc.gov/niosh/stresswk.html. Nancy Rivera Brooks, "Most Workers Who Call in 'Sick' Aren't, Study Finds," Los Angeles Times, Sept. 23, 1999, pC1+. Bureau of Justice Statistics, http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/press/vw99pr.htm. "Technology Increases Workplace Stress," Kensington Product News Releases, http://www.kensington.com. Porter Anderson, "Study: U.S. employees put in most hours," August 31, 2001, http://www.cnn.com/. All sources retrieved August 13, 2002. Chris Wood, "Dealing with Tech Rage: Ever Feel Like Hurling Your Computer Out the Window," Maclean's, March 19, 2001, p40.