Category Archives: Stressful workplaces

Adjust your Work-Life to join our LIVE Hangout on Work-Life with guest @JudyMartin8

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Today I will be chatting it up LIVE with my pal Judy Martin, of WorkLifeNation.com. We will be hanging out on Google+ which you can join in on the hangout, watch the LIVESTREAM on Google+ or on my Youtube. The recording will be added here after the fact.

Since we are headed to Chicago next week for SHRM’s Work-Flex Conference and October is National Work and Family month, I thought it would be cool to gather an industry expert who is way more qualified than I, to discuss this issue in a LIVE video chat. So I asked my online pal Judy if she would be interested in sharing her knowledge with me and she agreed.

A little about Judy

Judy is an Emmy award-winning journalist and the founder of WorkLifeNation.com. “Transforming Stress in an Always-on World.” She’s been tracking trends in work-life integration, workplace wellness, career development and business for two decades. She has contributed to NPR, Marketplace Report, BBC Radio, CNBC Business Radio, Forbes.com and News 12 Long Island.

As a stress management consultant, Judy combines her skills as a breaking news reporter, volunteering in Hospice-related work and as a yoga and meditation teacher ~ to help business executives better manage stress in the work-life merge. She released her first CD – Practical Chaos: Reflections on Resilience in 2006.

Hangout Overview: Here are a few things we will be discussing during the hangout

  • Is Work-Life Balance even possible?
  • Over-loaded and stressed out employees
  • Technology and it’s affect on work-life
  • Reducing Stress in the work-life merge

UPDATE: We had a blast hanging out with Judy Martin discussing this topic. Here is the recorded hangout >

One of the worse jobs ever!

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Almost once a week, while driving into my small suburb of Chicago, I drive past these characters. You know the ones in the Statue of Liberty costume at the corner of traffic lights. They’re always waving, dancing or trying to get your attention in some form. Yeah, they’re annoying and I never drive by them without thinking to myself, “Gee, that has to be the WORST JOB EVER!”

And it never fails - even in this crappy Midwestern weather, be it blizzard conditions, these folks are still out there – to make the almighty dollar! Surely they don’t accept this job because they want to. Because they’re actually enrolled in some kind of drama classes and they think this is going to further their career.

While I was back in Alabama for the month of January I was having a little coffee one morning with mom and she was filling me in on all that was going on with my siblings, nephews and nieces, she proceeded to tell me that one of my niece’s, who works a full-time job at a local hospital while caring for a three-year-old is looking into and has even applied for one of those “dancing statue of liberty people” (as my mom called it) as a second job.

My first response was, “Why does she need a second job? Isn’t her husband working?” To which she replied no, that he is having a tough time trying to find work.

Wait one minute! I know you guys are thinking the same thing I am …… “Well, shouldn’t he be applying to be dance-master el statue of libertere?”……. And mom just shrugged her shoulders.

Now as I hear it from inside sources, this job currently pays $10.00 an hour (and that’s in Alabama earnings). I’m sure with the cost of living difference here in Illinois that rate of pay is somewhat higher (probably $2 – $3.0o). And I suppose one could see this as “earning an honest living.” Did you know that is more than someone with a degree in accounting is making in that same geographical location?

Heck, who knows if I’m not forced out there soon (but I’ll choose Florida and the beaches to dance on).

Let’s face it –  Things are tough, unemployment is still at an all-time-high and people do what needs to be done. That’s admirable. They are doing whatever it takes to pay the mortgage, make the car payment, or put food on the table. We gotta give ‘em love for that!

Just don’t make me look them in the eye when I’m stopped at the light. Awkward!

Photo Credit: Newsminer

Dating at work – what’s your policy?

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Since it’s mushy-gushy Valentine’s Day, I thought I would delve into this topic of “Dating at Work.” (AKA – fraternizing) I addressed this on a previous post HERE.

I’ve been in a couple of relationships where I worked with someone I dated (read above post for first scenario). The second one was where I was working at said company and became really good friends with one of my coworkers. He was the best! After a few months of engaging as friends we took it to the next level. We kept this relationship private for several months (although there were no policies in place against it).

The relationship was a fabulous one, I might add (away from work) and yeah, there was a little fun having a “secret” that no one else knew – only the two of us. The time came that we had to admit to our superiors that we were in fact in a serious relationship and it looked as though we were moving in together (hey, at least we could save on fuel and car pool). They took it like champs and we agreed to try and keep work and life separate.

One problem with that is if you don’t know how to turn that switch off you’ll wind up discussing all kind of crap at the dinner table, in the restaurants, and in bed before going to sleep. (Yes, I said it!) And that’s what happened, about 50% of the time. Oh, and did I mention that I worked in an industry that was made up of approximately 89% of the male population? That made for a lot of discussion especially when I was expected to whine and dine potential customers off the clock.

All in all, it can work. It’s just a matter of keeping a few things in mind:

1. Make sure your policy at work is accepting (otherwise, don’t risk it)

2. Be able to turn the ON switch to OFF  when you walk out that door

3. Trust your partner (doesn’t that go without saying?) and understand that work is work!

4. Stay private (no one needs to know about your private life and if you open that up you’re doomed)

5. Don’t sleep with the boss (I felt the need to throw that in)

The relationship I discussed above turned out to be awesome and lasted almost three years but it was very challenging to keep in tact because of certain issues which could never be resolved. Oh, and it had nothing to do with our working together.

Photo Credit: WeBeGirls

Going “Postal” at Christmas

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I despise going to the Post Office and am somewhat boycotting them. I really could care less if they go under (other than several thousand slow, lackadaisical, angry employees will be out of a job).

Unfortunately, when I am not able to pay for my postage online, stick it on my packages, and click “pick up at front door” I find myself getting worked up enough to physically go into our local government slow-job.

A couple of weeks ago I had to do just that. I thought if I asked my cohort in crime (my gal pal across the street) if she needed to go with, it would make it less painful. It just so happens that she needed to go so we loaded up the sports car and began our journey. I remember my FB status update, “I’m going to the Post Office. Ya’ll pray for me.”

Traffic was a mess and it was already starting to appear that the Christmas crazies were on the road and we just knew we were in for it – especially at the post office.

I’m sure there are great local offices around the globe but our two closest PO locations are the worst. The closest one, and the one in my own village of Suburbia, has this atmosphere of awfulness due to their god awful customer service. The employees appear unhappy, overworked, and down-right Postal. In fact, every time I have to go in that facility, I wear my bullet-proof vest just in case.

Where was I? I just got side-tracked.

Anywho, back to the other location. So my friend and I pulled into the parking lot which was more crowded than usual (all us last-minute gift-senders) but we finally found a space. We walked in to find a line a mile long and proceeded to get in line. There was this thick cloud of Christmas anxiety in the air as we all huffed and puffed in line (some more than others).

The lady in front of me has decided she needs to get her passport. Wait, what? At Christmas? Okay, so I give her some slack and chill out thinking, maybe she just found out that she has to be in Paris for the Spring.

I remember discussing “what could possibly be the reason there are only two workers behind the counter at Christmas” when another worker comes out to announce “If there is anyone in line that is using a debit or credit card – meet me over at the do-it-yourself pay and ship machine” and she proceeded to help everyone that went that way. I wondered why she couldn’t do that behind the counter and move things along.

As soon as it was my turn I walked toward the counter the associate put up the sign “next counter, please” and I had to wait again. A new guy came in and was having problems with his register and / or scale so we were down to one employee working behind the counter. I promise you I was trying to be patient.

After all, what were these employees having to deal with?

  • Angry and agitated holiday customers
  • The threat of the possibility of losing your job in the near future
  • Old or worn-out equipment
  • People who forgot to send their packages early or just procrastinated
  • People who didn’t bring the appropriate documentation for their passport and had to return a second time
  • Overworked and understaffed because of cutbacks

To name a few. As I reflected on some of the reasons why all of this was going on around me, I tried to put myself in their place. How would I feel if I were in their shoes? Would I feel resentment, anger, anxiety? You betcha!

And suddenly, I felt sympathy. Then my friend leaned over to me and said, “My driver’s license has expired – I wonder what the DMV is like?” (enter deer-in-the-headlights look)

Photo Credit: TodayIFoundOut.com

Facts:

Did you know that  the first time the term “going postal” was used was in the St. Petersburg Times on December 17, 1993?In his article Violence at work tied to loss of esteem, Karl Vick stated; “The symposium was sponsored by the U.S. Postal Service, which has seen so many outbursts that in some circles excessive stress is known as ‘going postal…”

Here is more on the origin of the term “going postal.”