Question

Stress in the Workplace When Rebecca, WE Connections’ new HR specialist, saw project manager Julie Moore in the lunchroom, hunched over some papers and furiously scribbling some notes, her face broke into a grin. She hadn’t seen Julie in weeks and was delighted for the chance to catch up with her. She quickly walked over and touched her on the arm. When Julie looked up, Rebecca almost gasped. The woman looked like she hadn’t slept in weeks. The last time they had spoken, Julie had been full of life. Her face had been animated as she had excitedly talked about a new project that she was taking on. Due to an internal staffing shortage, Alex had asked her to juggle two major projects at the same time. One client was in a city two hours north of WE Connections. The other was located 1.5 hours south. Both required a lot of face time with the clients, so Julie had been driving for hours almost every day. If she wasn’t with one client, she was with the other, or she was on a conference call with a member of her staff. Sitting down at the table and trying to hide her shock, Rebecca said, "Julie, I haven’t seen you in a few weeks. How are things going?" Julie managed a feeble smile. "Things are good, I guess. I’m surviving." Rebecca’s first instinct was to tell Julie that she looked tired, but she bit her tongue. That kind of comment never helped anyone; it just let the person know they were not looking their best. Instead, she said, "How are the two projects going? I heard there were some hiccups, but you managed to keep everything going." Living on the Edge of Disaster Shrugging, Julie said, "Just barely. It feels like I’m always one moment away from disaster. Every moment I’m awake I’m either working or driving. My husband says he doesn’t even recognize me anymore." With one hand, she attempted to rub some of the tension from her neck. "Well, it’s great to see you here. I’m glad you finally got back to home base. I hope that means things are slowing down for you." Rebecca smiled encouragingly. "I wish! If anything, things are ramping up. I just came into town today because I had a doctor’s appointment this morning that I had already rescheduled several times. I thought I’d use the chance to talk to my people here before I head out again. We just worked through lunch, and I was just making notes on what I have to do next. It seems that every time there is a task that isn’t getting done, it gets added to my list. I guess it’s good to be needed. I just wish people would stop calling in sick all of a sudden. I’ve had three people call in this week. That’s not really being a team player, is it?" Julie straightened the pile of papers in front of her and stuffed them into her bag. She added, "Well, I guess I’d better keep going. Nice to see you, Rebecca." Before Julie stood up, Rebecca put a hand on her arm and said, "Hold up a second. Are you sure you’re okay? I’m worried that you’re doing too much. All of this pressure can’t be good for you." Physical Effects of Stress Julie laughed, and said, "You sound like my doctor. She wanted me to take a week off—starting today. I guess my blood pressure is up, and she didn’t like hearing about my headaches and insomnia. Obviously, she doesn’t realize that this is all part of the job. Stepping away, even for a couple of days, just isn’t possible." She stood up to go, but added, "Ha! Can you imagine what Alex would say if I bailed in the middle of these two projects? He calls me seven times a day to get updates on everything, watching every single thing I do to make sure I’m not messing up, freaking out when I miss anything. If I stepped away, even for a day, he would be the one with the real medical emergency!" She chuckled at the thought and waved as she walked away. Rebecca watched her go, troubled by the conversation. In the final installment of the WE Connections story (at the end of Chapter 13), an HR staff member worries that there may be a union-organizing drive going on at the company.

What do you think it is like for the employees on Julie’s team (Excellent links to course materials (PowerPoints, eBook, lectures, videos, research)?

Answer 1

Julie at WE Connections is experiencing significant job stress, which is causing both physical and emotional strain and potentially contributing to a workplace environment susceptible to burnout. Her team likely faces similar stress, given the high-pressure conditions and staff shortages they are working under.

Step-by-step explanation:

The situation described with Julie and her team at WE Connections indicates a workplace environment heavily burdened by job stress and burnout. Julie is experiencing physical symptoms such as high blood pressure, headaches, and insomnia, indicative of chronic stress, which is known to result in serious health conditions. The stressors in Julie's job include excessive driving to meet clients, the responsibility of managing two major projects simultaneously, a lack of support due to staff absences, and constant monitoring by her superior, Alex, which adds to the pressure she feels.

Regarding her team, it's likely that they are also experiencing heightened levels of stress. The absence of team members, potentially due to their own stress-related issues, further compounds the workload and pressure on the remaining staff. The additional responsibilities placed on Julie are symptomatic of an organization that may be overburdening its employees, leading to a risk of increased job burnout across the team. The scenario reflects an environment where job demands exceed personal resources and could result in reduced job satisfaction, deteriorated health, poor job performance, and an impacted family life. There's a clear need for better strategies to deal with burnout and to develop avenues for employees to safely express concerns about their workload and the impact of their job on their well-being.