|
Postal workers in Canada feel they get little or no
respect in the workplace. In a recent study by researchers at McMaster
University, postal workers reported increased rates of burnout, anxiety,
depression and hostility which they attributed to "rudeness" and "incivility" by
supervisors, co-workers and members of the public.
In an open plenary held by the Institute for Work and Health (IWH) lead
researcher Harry S. Shannon outlined his study entitled: Workplace Incivility
and Other Work Factors: Effects on Psychological Distress and Health. This
two-phase study was sponsored by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB)
and was conducted in cooperation with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers
(CUPW) at various Canada Post locations across Canada.
Results of the study show, that 85 per cent of respondents experienced at
least some incivility in the previous 12 months mostly from males and mostly
from supervisors. And incivility from supervisors was a stronger contributor to
psychological distress than incivility from co-workers. Of note, 54 per cent of
workers had experienced sexual harassment in the previous 12 months.
As expected, customer incivility was significantly more common among outside
workers (55 per cent) although it was also reported by both inside and
maintenance workers. And on a more positive note, researchers reported the more
support workers receive from their co-workers the less supervisor incivility
affected their health.
For purposes of the study incivility was defined as "discourteous behaviour
or treatment". Incivility is different from bullying in that it is generally
less obvious and potentially more common. It can be as harmless as taking the
last cup of coffee in the lunch room or as rude as not acknowledging a person
when they say good morning. Both men and women engage in this type of behaviour,
although study results show it is the men who seem to be the instigators more
times than not.
Studies suggest that incivility in society and in the workplace is becoming
more and more common, and could lead to more severe violence if left unresolved.
Research also shows incivility is related to psychological distress and poor
health, and it impacts the work environment both emotionally and economically as
workers will often call in sick rather than face their aggressor.
Another significant finding is that 43 per cent of workers reported they had
been injured at work in the previous year and 13 per cent of these workers did
not report their injury.
Want to
know more about workplace violence?
Are you
looking for training in workplace violence? The Workers Health & Safety
Centre has a newly updated Workplace Violence program.
Want
more information on the study?
|
