Why Work is Killing You, and How to Fight Back - The Muse

Why Work is Killing You, and How to Fight Back - The MuseWhy Work is Killing You, and How to Fight Back If Jeffrey Pfeffer had to sum up his latest book in one sentence, hed say that the workplace is killing us and nobody cares. Take a minute, because thats quite a summary. You should care, obviously. Employees, employers, governments, and societies all suffer from the effects of toxic work environments. If I work you to a point where youre so sick physically or psychologically you can no longer workyou become the publics problem, says Pfeffer, a professor at Stanford Universitys Graduate School of geschftsleben whose research has focused on organization theory and human resource management. Companies are squandering money via medical costs, lost productivity, and high turnover, and governments and societies have to deal with the long-term consequences and costs to the public health and welfare systems. In the U.S., 120,000 deaths a year could be attributed to work environments, acco rding to Pfeffers book, Dying for a Paycheck How Modern Management Harms Employee Health and Company Performance- and What We Can Do About It, racking up about $180 billion in health-care costs. He estimates that about half the deaths and a third of the costs could be prevented. So once you know and care, what can you do to fight back? 1. Get Out of There (or at Least Take Your Vacation)Pfeffer believes that in every single industry, there are better and worse employers. If your office is toxic, you should follow your instinct and try to leave for something better before you get so psychologically and physically ill that you simply canbedrngnis keep going, as Pfeffer writes.The way to buffer yourself is to get out. And if you cant get out permanently, then get out temporarily, he says. Many people for obvious reasons dont take all the vacation to which theyre entitled.2. Establish Your Own Support NetworkAgain, its notlage always possible to jump ship as soon as youve realized how m uch the ships grinding you down. Youve got bills to pay and mouths to feed, and it takes time and effort to find a new job- a tall order especially while youre doing a soul-sucking job. The irony of the situation is that the very things making your job miserable might be preventing you from doing something to make it better, like spending time with people you care about and who care about you. But remember that friends make you healthier, Pfeffer says. Find people at work and away from work who can provide the support you need. 3. Surround Yourself With People Who Have More BalanceThe clich goes that the first step to fixing a problem is to recognize there is one. But its hard to do that in a society where harmful work habits are so common.Surrounded by people who act as if long hours, an absence of job control, and work-family conflict is normal, people come to accept that definition of the situation, Pfeffer writes in his book, emphasizing how potent social influence can be. So if you cant change your company, change who you spend time with. Find some people who dont work all the time, who have relationships with their family and friends that extend beyond pictures on screen savers, and who have work that provides a sense of autonomy and control, Pfeffer writes. 4. Dont Rationalize Whats Not RationalPeople know when theyre being overworked. They know when theyre starting to take drugs to stay awake. They know when theyve taken to self-medicating with alcohol. They know when theyre not eating well. They know, Pfeffer says. But often people stay anyway, even when know they should get the hell out.In his book, Pfeffer details some reasons people stay, including the tendency to rationalize decisions weve already made. People dont want to admit theyve made a mistake by choosing that job or company, so its easier to tell themselves Its just a crazy few months or Theyre paying me so well or The commute is so easy.They also dont want to be seen as quitters, by thems elves or anyone else. The ability to survive tough work circumstances has become a badge of honor, Pfeffer writes, and the decision becomes a binary You can either hack it and thrive, or you can leave- and thereby admit to yourself and your family and friends that you cant take the pressure and that you arent good enough to compete with the best.Remember two things. First, its okay to admit you were wrong about the job and to take steps to find a better one. Second, sometimes its not you thats doing something wrong, its the company. 6. Ask the Right Questions on Your Way OutOnce youve decided its time to get out, make sure youre not moving from one toxic office to another. Pfeffer recommends asking questions not only of your potential boss, but also of your potential peers about anything thats stress-provoking to you. Try some of these What are the normal hours? How accessible are you supposed to be off hours? How much travel is there? How much notice do you get in advance of work t rips? Is this place where you have a fair amount of say about what you do and how and when? Do most people take their vacations? Do people come to work sick? But dont just take their word for it. Look around if youre visiting the office for an interview. Does everyone look exhausted and sullen? Probably not a great sign. If the company is big enough, check up on recent press. Have several rounds of layoffs been reported? Might be a red flag. Pfeffers summary of his book is pretty depressing. I have a feeling that if youre reading this (and if you got all the way to the end), a lot of it felt familiar. And that might be scary, but it should also be reassuring. Youre not the first or only part to go through it- and there are real ways to get out. So try not to feel overwhelmed by the toxic situation. Acknowledge it. And then figure out what youre going to do next to get the happiness and better health you deserve.