Sick of the Job

A new report confirms what we all know but aren't allowed to take too seriously: bad your job hurts your health. Workplace decline, inhumane treatment, bad psychological vibes affect you and then the whole country. The president of the Families and Work Institute, which sponsored the report, said, "You have to pay attention to the small things, the way people treat each other, whether there are opportunities to learn, whether people’s input is asked for and considered.’’ Obvious in theory and avoided in practice.

The theory is well understood.

Nearly 40 percent of employees in a highly “effective’’ workplace - where people are trusted and supported - report being in excellent health, double the number of those who say they’re in the best health at less effective companies. The institute defines an effective workplace as one offering a climate of trust and respect, learning opportunities, worker autonomy, work-life fit, supervisor support, and economic security. High work-life support and flexibility are especially linked to good health outcomes.

Rehumanizing US society will build from a lot of places, and one is fixing the workplace, which has slid into barbarism and authoritarianism for way too many people.