Coping at Work

What do you do when you cannot cope at work? Our working lives are like a long road without many rest stops, or at least that’s how it can seem at times. There is a relentless pressure on most employees to perform at a consistently high level which is driven by managers who are often required to generate increased profit and cut costs year on year regardless of the economic climate or business conditions.

So what should or can an employee do when they begin to feel that work is all too much?

The starting point is to identify exactly what the problems are. If you are simply in the wrong job, staying put is likely to be a mistake unless position change is just around the corner. If there are aspects of your job that you cannot do well enough because of a lack of skills or training, ask for some even if you think the company may not agree. Put any request for training in writing and if training is offered but then never provided, keep asking and try not to criticise your manager for delay. If later on you are criticised for poor performance, the fact that you recognised the problem yourself and asked for help is likely to count in your favour. In any event, most responsible employers do try and provide training for their staff to help them do their jobs better.

If life has become miserable at work because of people, first of all look at yourself. If you have fallen out you may have to face the fact that the problem lies with you, not them. If you are being badly treated by someone on the same level as you, firstly tell your manager or supervisor and say that you intend to sort the problem out yourself informally. If this doesn’t work, raise a formal grievance. Obviously, you should never put up with sexual harassment, verbal abuse or bullying behaviour – make sure you object immediately.

If the problem is a more senior person, raise a formal grievance in writing but try to do so in a factual rather than emotional way. Try to include specific examples of what is upsetting you rather than general statements such as “he obviously does not like me” or “I am being badly treated”.

Excessive workloads can lead to life feeling like it’s not worth living. Do not let yourself get into a position in which you are working excessive overtime either paid or unpaid for long periods. This is recognised by the European Union as being a health and safety issue. The bottom line is that working stupid hours wears out even the most energetic person. Make sure your bosses know if you are having to work significantly longer hours just to keep up with your job.

Everyone has a breaking point when stress becomes so bad it makes a person unfit to work. However, going off work because you feel you can’t cope should be a last resort. Sick leave does not solve the problems that caused the stress in the first place, sometimes it just makes the situation worse and can lead to your job being at risk.

The lesson for employees is that if the stress of your job is too much for you, do something about it before you become too ill to work. The very fact that you are trying to do something about a problem is likely to make you feel better.

For employers, the lesson is to make sure you keep a compassionate eye on your staff. There are obvious signals marking employees who are finding it difficult to cope; excessive hours, odd days off work with vague ailments, unusual moodiness, excessive drinking, an inability to prioritise work, complaints from colleagues. Do not adopt an ostrich approach to these signs; be proactive, speak to the employee, understand what the issues are and do all that you reasonably can to help.

Published 27/09/2006.