Job insecurity causes stress, paranoia among employees
April 1, 1997
Job insecurity causes stress, paranoia among employees
New work environment offers wellness challenges, opportunities
The era of downsizing and re-engineering in America has done more than make corporations "leaner and meaner"; it is literally making employees sick.
"What [the work environment] comes down to is a fear for survival and embitterment," notes Howard Eisenberg, MD, president of Syntrek, a Stowe, VT-based human performance and change management consulting firm. "This, in turn, radically increases stress," says Eisenberg, a pioneer in the field of stress management.
Employees used to find employment at a corporation expecting to work hard and well in exchange for job security. Today, no job is secure, raises are shrinking or disappearing and benefits packages are dwindling.
The collapse of that traditional, though unspoken, contract between employer and employee has had a disastrous impact on employee health. "This change is such a sudden and radical one, it’s a shock and contrary to employees’ expectations. They experience the classic Fight or Flight’ stress reaction, but there’s not much physical recourse to do either," explains Eisenberg.
In fact, a senior manager who works in the public sector recently told Eisenberg he was so troubled by the layoffs of other employees at his company that he now finds himself debilitated physically. "His immune system has broken down, and he gets repeated infections," Eisenberg relates. "He also has a kidney problem which, in his mind, is directly related to stress."
Just what they don’t need
Ironically, just when employees need a positive attitude and good health, pressures of job insecurity drive them in precisely the opposite direction.
"If there are layoffs, the people who are left are afraid [of losing their jobs]. That fear can sometimes be so overwhelming you stop taking care of yourself," says Lauve Metcalf, MS, FAWHP, who heads her own Tucson, AZ-based wellness firm called Organizational Health Consultants. "And when you don’t feel good about yourself, you’re not projecting the best possible you."
Another issue is that everyone becomes more competitive with each other, Eisenberg says. "I see a real deterioration of altruism, which is one of the ways to weather severe stress."
Even in companies where the situation is less dire, employees fear being engulfed by the tidal wave of downsizing, Eisenberg notes. "People work harder to prove how valuable they are way beyond 40 hours a week but it’s initiated by fear, not by loyalty or vision," he says.
This ultimately hurts productivity and team spirit. "As people’s hearts are hardening, there’s less willingness to share information and collaborate in teams," Eisenberg observes. "As I go through focus groups, I hear employees saying they believe information is power, and if they share it, they partly disempower themselves." This can eliminate a support group and network that might otherwise be helpful in a job search.
High stress levels and bitterness can keep employees away from wellness programs, says Metcalf. "A lot of employees even if they have a wellness benefit could be concerned that participation may take them away from their desk and their work," she notes. "The concept that being a more well-rounded, healthier person makes you a better employee can sometimes get thrown out in the wash."
An opportunity to promote wellness
And yet, say observers, this environment is an opportunity for wellness and human resource professionals.
"The role of HR [human resources] professionals in an era of downsizing is to provide counseling for people and work with whatever structure exists for wellness. There needs to be a very close coordination between the HR function of reskilling employees or providing outsourcing counseling, and the wellness function of stress management; that’s absolutely essential," says Greta Kotler, director of market development for the American Society for Training and Development in Alexandria, VA.
Company-provided training and development, even time management, can relieve stress and boost morale, she says.
Eisenberg, however, says that downsizing has actually diminished the role of the human resource professional and placed a greater responsibility on the wellness professional.
"Integration [between HR and wellness] was happening for a while, but it has severely declined [because of] restructuring," Eisenberg says. "HR has regressed back to personnel it deals more with benefits, documentation, and litigation issues and less with helping people grow."
Where wellness can help
But wellness professionals can help employees become healthier in a clearly unhealthy, stressful work environment, says Eisenberg.
First, he advises, don’t overlook the obvious. "In an environment like this, the role of physical fitness becomes even more important," he says. "Employees really get a benefit from blowing off that steam. And when people get in touch with their bodies, they get in touch with the emotional side of their hearts. When they do that with other people, they’re more likely to re-bond with others," Eisenberg says.
The wellness professional can actually become a "trust facilitator," Eisenberg adds, helping to rebuild the relationship between the company and the employee. "In the fitness training room, for example, they have direct contact with the employees," he explains.
Wellness professionals also should tap into their knowledge of stress management, especially the relaxation response, Eisenberg advises.
The relaxation response, which is the direct opposite of the stress response, can be as simple as staring into a fire or as formal as meditation. "It not only reduces stress levels, but it helps you connect more with your body, your self, your values, and intuition. It also helps us remember to relate to fellow human beings."
Metcalf recommends that wellness professionals use the "SPECIES" model developed by the National Wellness Institute in Stevens Point, WI, to help employees deal with workplace challenges:
S ocial: Institute "lunch bunches," so employees can network and share their problems.
P hysical: Help employees make exercise an integral part of their lives.
E motional: Don’t stop talking, connect to a friend. If there is an Employee Assistance Program, use it.
C areer: Always look to grow your career internally and externally.
I ntellectual: You should constantly be growing. Start reading about different professions. If you have a hobby, pursue it.
E nvironment: Don’t just clean up the earth but the clutter around your work station as well. When your immediate surroundings are chaotic, so is your life.
S piritual: Realize we are part of a larger plan, and our duty is to do the best we can to contribute. (See the story on spiritual wellness, above.)
But will a budget-minded management back wellness efforts to help employees cope with this new reality? "There are still ways to raise this issue to senior management in a way that will gain their interest," Eisenberg insists. "It has to do with the bottom line. Ask them if they have been tracking their EAP [employee assistance program] utilization rates. If they’re going up, does this concern them? Are they tracking disability costs? Time off for stress-related causes is increasing."
Another way to bottom-line it for senior management, Eisenberg says, is to point out the danger of having an office populated by the "walking wounded." "How confident do you feel of success for your enterprise when people are so stressed out, their minds are not on their jobs? Many of your employees are looking for another job, watching their backs, or trying to sabotage fellow employees. Do you really want your people to have that kind of mindset?"
[Editor’s Note: For more information on employee health and the work environment, contact: Howard Eisenberg, MD, Syntrek, 641 Pinnacle Road, Stowe, VT 05672-1393. Telephone: (802) 253-8691.]
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