Why we can’t improve well-being* A Critical Perspective Craig A. Jackson Prof. of Workplace Psychology Division of Ps

1. Why we can’t improve well-being* A Critical Perspective Craig A. Jackson Prof. of Workplace Psychology Division of Psychology Birmingham City University *not in a recession anyway

2. Well-Being • A euphemism for “Psychological well-being” • . . . Being OK • . . . Symptom-free • . . . Functioning • . . . Getting the job done • . . . Without excessive complaint

4. 21st Century World of Work – more complex than ever before • Illness + Disease Focused • Health & Safety Obsessed • Market-forces Dominated • Quality Management Driven • SMEs Predominant • Mass production • Low Skills or Training required = low pay Global companies and operations Leaner managers Meaner managers Gender issues Disability issues Migrant issues Longer working hours Fewer fixed hours Unpaid working Shorter contracts Dirty jobs out-sourced

5. Fatigue Somatic symptoms Sleep disturbance Anxiety MSDs Depression Cardiovascular Accidents QoL Well-being Neurobehavioural • The New Millennium – The Existential Age • What do we have? • Stress • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome • Multiple Chemical Sensitivity • Diffuse Pain Syndromes (RSI, MSD, WI) • Non-Specific Effect Modifiers • Psycho-immunology Going beyond contemporary concerns about stress….

6. Things have changed in the workplace

7. What workers expect Financial Reasonable expectations? Achievable ? Affordable ? Advancement Status Respect Perks Education / Training Autonomy Flexibility Dissatisfied workforce? Aggrieved employees? Unmotivated staff ? Pensions Support Security

8. Things have changed in the workplace ...Some things have not

9. Some problems never leave us Conditions are the same today Views and values have changed enormously Creating problems and solutions is an industry

10. 5. 2. 3. 1. 4. The Office Experience . . . Top 5 “downers”

11. Health & Well-being as commodity Morally priced out of the market Health now becomes commoditized Therefore prone to market forces Efficiency model of health, rather than moral imperative Economic models don’t work as well as moral models e.g. blood sales

12. Kerching!!!!

13. Work-Life Balance? Is this a reality? More of us working from home More of us working on-the-road “Work-Life Balance” “Life-Work Balance”

14. Romanticism of Sentimentality (especially in hard times) Things were . . . easier flexible informal customizable self-governed fun

15. Long Working Hours “Workaholism” Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, UK (Karojisatsu) uninterrupted heavy workload • irregular sleep habits • decreases in rest • decrease social time • alcohol abuse • increased smoking • unhealthy diet • neglecting medical checks • breakdown in family life heavy physical work excessive demands from irregular overtime and shift work excessive workloads from emotional stress, such as responsibility, transfers, and conflicts

16. Iatrogenesis Induced inadvertently by the medical treatment or procedures or activity, examination, manner or discussion of a physician. The term is now applied to any adverse condition in a patient occurring as the result of treatment by a physician or surgeon, (e.g. acquired infections)

17. Difficult to Access Populations • Disenfranchised / Excluded people • Research-Poor occupations • e.g. cleaners, au pairs, farm workers • Disabled workers • Migrant communities • Immigrant workers • Illegal cash workers • Voluntary workers

18. Commuting

19. Commuting “Cattle Truck Syndrome” Chronic health problems exacerbated by train travel? Cumulative impact theory Increased B.P, Anxiety, Chronic Heart Conditions Over-crowded trains / buses Straining public transport system Lack of control “People develop a constant internal anger on crowded trains that they cannot easily displace…an individual's immune system could also be suppressed by stress, making passengers more susceptible to illnesses”

20. Obesity & Odd Body Shapes Different problems but similar anthropometric outcomes Poor-fitting PPE Ergonomic problems Equipment modifications required Exposure abnormalities e.g. welding plume Depression / Ennui / Despair

21. Obesity & Techno-Decline

22. Anti-Social Networking Sites No longer “safe” at your own workstations Luke WilliamsI think they do spoil relationships & cause alot of arguments at work. My g/f has facebook (i do 2) and she seems 2 add more bois thn gals n the otha day i was lookin at hers at work, n thers a new boi on ther n it sez thy hooked up n she sed she dnt kno who it is, i dnt kno wot 2 think? We also argue bare bout it...so i think it does cause problems.

25. Vocal Hygiene Golden Age of Communication Most jobs have increased vocal use Vocal load “unaware” Equipment modifications required Exacerbated by stress, alcohol, exposure

26. Violence (and the night time economy) • Violent incidents at work 655,000 in 2004/05 - British Crime Survey (2005) • Steady fall in work violence since peak of 1.3 million incidents in 1995 • 3% of workplace violence from former employees • 20% is from current employees • 77% of physical and verbal attacks from strangers or customers. • Common causes include: • Those wanting immediate attention • Dissatisfaction with (lack of) attention / treatment received • Dissatisfaction with inappropriate treatment received • Robbery

27. Remote / Isolated Working ‘any situation or location in which someone works without a colleague nearby; or when someone is working out of sight or earshot of another colleague’ Field operatives Sales Drivers Lack of immediate assistance available to the worker; illness accidents personal safety Social workers Janitors District nurses Drivers Filling stations Shops Home workers Security Receptionists Teachers Cleaners Engineers

28. Can We Achieve Psychological Well-Being in Workplaces? • Chemicals • Gasses • Dusts • Particles • Light • Heat • Noise • Vibration • Stress • Radiation • Slips, trips, falls • Working hours • Ergonomics • Not if we (A) Focus on health as commodity • (B) Don’t sort out the psychosocial mess

29. “Don’t bring your problems home from work, ‘cos I don’t wanna know!” The Pre-Stress & Post-Stress Economy Pre-Stress EconomyStress EconomyPost-Stress Economy “Leave your problems “Your problems are “Work – Life balance” at home” work’s problems” “Leave you problems “Your problems are “Work – Life balance” at work” work’s problems”