Rapid
change, cynicism towards management and pressure in Canada’s public sector
workplace has coincided with soaring depression and anger rates, according to a
new report.
The
WarrenShepell Research Group studied 28,000 provincial and council staff using
employee assistance programmes. It found that the number of provincial workers
citing “anger symptoms” as their main
concern has risen by 900 per cent over three years. Anger issues in the
provincial sector are 48 per cent higher than the national average.
More
than a fifth of employees have to seek help for marital and relationship
problems, while requests for legal services for child support issues are
now 66 per cent higher than the
national norm.
Municipal
staff depression rates have doubled in the past three years, and those aged
between 30-39 are the most frequent users of counselling and work-life
services.
Local
authorities seeking more efficiency creates intense pressure for supervisors
and workers in an ageing workforce, said Warren-
Shepell president Rod Phillips.
“Working
in environments characterised by ongoing change can be an all-consuming
struggle that saps productivity and may lead to serious mental health problems,”
he said.
The
study highlights the need for dedicated programmes on workplace relationships,
stress, the rising costs of health benefits, disability and absence to fight
the effects of these trends.
The
one positive note from the report was that employees are seeking assistance
earlier, when preventative and resolution-focused interventions are most
helpful, instead of waiting until problems become urgent.
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www.warrenshepell.com/research/iresearch.asp
By
Joel Ceausu in Montreal
