Interventions aimed at improving the way that change is managed in your workplace

  If you work in an unenlightened organization where change is managed in a secretive way, information is withheld, employees are not consulted about changes, where there are negative attitudes and/or a ‘macho’ culture about stress, you will clearly have problems in terms of trying to change it. The first step is to try to make use of any formal mechanisms through which you can bring these issues onto the agenda, such as staff and management meetings. However, it is highly unlikely that you are going to have much influence on your own. Group pressure is required and in order to have an impact, you need to recruit others to support the campaign and work collaboratively to bring about a change in management attitudes. Do not assume that everyone is automatically going to reject what you say, since once you start to bring this into the open, you may be surprised how many people feel the same way as you do about it. Even if not everyone feels the same way as you do, this is not a reason to do nothing.

Changing the culture of an organization requires changing attitudes from the most senior level downwards. To achieve this, strong and persuasive evidence needs to be presented that emphasizes change is required. For example, factual evidence of the negative impact that the stress due to the poor management of organizational change is having upon employees within your own organization would be very persuasive. Persuasive evidence may include higher than average sickness absence, high staff turnover, higher than average retirement due to ill health, increased accidents at work, or litigation and compensation claims. Even if this factual information is not readily available, it may be possible to gather more descriptive evidence through the verbal and written reports of past and present employees, through your own experiences and observations, or through the grapevine to support the case.

The research on how costly work related stress is to the individual, organizations and the country (see pp. 6–8) should be publicized and disseminated as widely as possible to all levels of the organization in order to persuade others that a change in organizational culture is necessary. For example, your employer needs to be aware that addressing the social and welfare needs of employees, rather than costing an employer, can actually increase productivity and profits. It thus makes sense not only on humanitarian grounds but also for sound economic reasons. After all, a happy workforce is a productive one.

Interventions aimed at improving the home–work interface

  The following are some tips aimed at improving the home–work interface:

•  Do not take work home or make yourself available all the time.

•  Switch off your work mobile and give your home telephone number to as few people as possible. It is easy to convince yourself that you are indispensable but this is a dangerous assumption to make. No one is indispensable. Also no one ever got to the end of their life wishing that they had spent more time working and less leisure time!

•  Switch off both mentally and physically from work when you are at home. Leave work behind you when you set off for home and leave home behind you when you set off for work.

•  If you find commuting to work stressful, try leaving a bit earlier or at different times to beat the rush. You could also try to find an alternative less stressful route or means of transport to get to work.

•  Make use of strategies to help you relax if you are on public transport such as reading a non-work related book or listening to calming music. If these are not successful, you can try using more formal relaxation techniques such as listening to a relaxation CD on your journey (as long as you are not driving) or practising positive thinking techniques. See Chapters 8 and 9 for further information on relaxation and positive thinking techniques.

•  If the stress persists, in the longer term you might consider moving home to a more convenient location nearer work, or alternatively moving your job to a more convenient location.

•  If you experience a lack of social supports in work, you can compensate for this by finding alternative social supports outside of work. Similarly, you may feel the need to find alternative sources of self-esteem outside of work. Both of these strategies can act as a buffer against stress at work.

•  If you feel that you are doing too much at home in terms of the household chores, try to negotiate a better deal for yourself by sharing and delegating some tasks and responsibilities to others in your household. This might be with your partner or your teenage children. Traditionally the bulk of housework still tends to fall on the woman of the household, so this may need addressing especially if the woman is working full-time. If there is a lack of support or cooperation from the rest of the family, it may even be necessary to consider going on strike! They will soon get the message if the tea is not ready or their clothes are not washed and ironed!

•  Ensure that you make proper childcare arrangements that fit in with work, either using a paid childminder, or deciding on who in the family is going to take on this role. After all, it is difficult to relax at work if you are constantly worrying about where your children are and whether or not they have been picked up at the right time from school. When deciding the childcare arrangements, it is important to acknowledge who is the main breadwinner in the family. Although this has traditionally been the man, it might not make sense if the woman is earning more money. It does not make sense for the woman to give up work or reduce hours to look after children if she earns more than her partner, simply because she is female!

•  Dual careers (i.e., where both partners have a career) can also cause stress and problems between partners. One may feel that their career advancement is suffering because they are always following their partner’s career moves. If you are in this situation it is important to negotiate a fairer deal for yourself. This might for example involve agreeing to take turns when promotion or other career advancement opportunities come around. This can of course be frustrating when it is your turn to forgo an opportunity but it is at least fairer and in the long run will prevent the build-up of frustration and resentment between a couple.