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Rapid Responses: Rapid Responses published:
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Study secretaries & office workers, not just nurses
- Jennifer Carless (28 May 2000)
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Kawachi?
- Martha Perske (28 May 2000)
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Workplace stress is widespread
- Carol Bailey (20 June 2000)
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Jennifer Carless, student - previous office worker 16 yrs various offices, incl govt
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It is highly commendable that researchers have studied the effects of low job control, high demands, and low social support on female nurses. An important and ground-breaking study, I'm sure, but no surprise to the participants, I am also sure! But a major portion of women do not work as nurses. They work in offices as clerks, secretaries, and receptionists. I have worked in offices for over 16 years as a clerk, secretary/administrative assistant to VPs, and receptionist and have endured all of the same stress, due to the same environment factors studied in the nurse report. Please study the occupations of office clerk, secretary, administrative assistant, and receptionist, so that maybe the bosses will listen!! Thank you. |
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Martha Perske, Professional illustrator Home
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I'm not sure how believable Professor Ichiro Kawachi is. When his highly publicized study on environmental tobacco smoke and heart disease risk among nonsmokers was published, he touted his finding of "high risk" from exposure to ETS in the workplace: "The finding of high risk associated with workplace smoke is a very important one, Kawachi emphasizes." (American Heart Association press release, May 20, 1997, "Steady exposure to 'passive' smoke nearly doubles risk of heart attack, death for women, study shows") A year later he more accurately described his ETS/workplace finding as "suggestive" of an elevated risk "although the estimate was not statistically significant." (Cardiologia, 1998;43(7):667-675, "Passive smoking and coronary heart disease," Ichiro Kawachi) Why would Professor Kawachi tell the media one thing (a "high risk") when in fact he acknowledges something altogether different in his Cardiologia article that received no U.S. media coverage at all? Martha Perske |
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Carol Bailey, injured/disabled worker not working
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I think that this kind of study is extremely valuable and should be carried out in other kinds of workplaces. I believe that studies of government workers in Britain have shown similar health effects and the effects followed a gradient--the lowest control jobs had the highest stress levels and the highest rates of illness for the workers and so on up to the highest ranks, where workers enjoyed good health. Personally, I was a worker for several years in a government (Ontario) office. The demand in terms of workload was extremely high, the control was zero. I strongly suspect that government workers everywhere experience the highest levels of stress, especially due to cut-backs during the 1990s. Yet, no one seems to be concerned about the health of government workers. I experienced a severe back problem (herniated disc) and after two operations, I find myself permanently disabled and suffering chronic pain, muscle spasms, and muscle cramps. The word must get out about the negative health effects of workplaces that give employees little control over their work. We will otherwise experience a health care crisis in most Western countries. Employers of all kinds--private and public sector--must be encouraged to make these changes, which will also, I suspect improve productivity, cut absenteeism and encourage workers to do their best work. We must finally rid ourselves of the philosophy of "Scientific Management" promoted by Taylor in the 1910s and move on to a new, enlightened century. |
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