The Survivor Syndrome: working in times of crisis can harm health
The Survivor Syndrome
For almost a year, Susana Rosales, an administrative worker in a factory in Barcelona, watched with suspicion as her colleagues were dismissed one by one. The operators, the sales people, their colleagues in the administration department and even the head of marketing. "Every time I attended the farewell of a classmate I thought it would be the next . I felt fortunate for continuing to work in the company, but it was really stressful to think that any day could touch me. This situation affected me on a daily basis and caused anxiety and insomnia, "says Rosales.
As in the case of Susana, the interruption of normalcy in working life due to "downsizing "(Staff reduction) causes employees to have to adapt to a new situation that can have a negative effect in the well-being and satisfaction not only of those who remain unemployed, but also of those who keep their work. This phenomenon, studied for the first time by Noer , it is known as the "Survivor syndrome " It is characterized by high levels of anxiety and stress (or burnout), lack of motivation and affective commitment towards the organization, generalized dissatisfaction and distrust of the company.
According to European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) "Many factors affect the welfare of employees, and the economic and social environment is extremely important in this regard". Therefore, it recommends: "The psychosocial factors related to work, the economic contexts and the social contexts that cause the discomfort should be modified to reduce the levels of dissatisfaction ”.
The truth is that, given the impossibility of changing the economic or political landscape of a country in times of recession, many are affected by this syndrome. A study by Jussi Vahtera, a researcher at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, found that "in times of crisis those who maintain their jobs increase the probability of suffering cardiovascular diseases by 5 times". The causes? Increased stress, excessive workload and continuous job insecurity.
Stress and burnout and its relation to workers' health
As we discussed in the article "Burnout (burn syndrome): how to detect it and take measures" stress and job satisfaction have become an important factor in recent decades in the workplace. Psychosocial risks and burnout are among the most difficult problems in the field of occupational safety and health, as they significantly affect people and organizations.
For the worker, it causes consequences at a physical, emotional or behavioral level, and for the company, it negatively affects the organization, the work environment, the performance or to relationships . In this context, feelings arise in employees such as indifference, despair over work, greater demotivation or an increase in the desire to leave the job that can lead to the abandonment of the profession in many cases. In many companies there is a high rate of absenteeism due to this phenomenon.
Crisis? More work and more uncertainty for the survivors
Many companies are not on the sidelines of the economic crisis in which the European Union is immersed, and that is why dismissals become frequent within companies. The labor survivor in time of crisis It supports the added pressure of having to work often more hours to do the tasks of colleagues who are no longer there. This added pressure and fear of being fired at any time can cause irritability, difficulty in concentration and, in some cases, anxiety attacks ", as Julie Monti explained to the magazine Today's Chicago Woman.
This syndrome is becoming so relevant that it arouses the interest of scientists, organizations, Human Resources departments and even governments. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality U.S. provides scientific evidence that relates the number of workers with the discomfort at work . This study highlights the close association between a deficient human resources endowment and the consequent appearance of stress, burnout, psychosomatic symptoms, loss of well-being and dissatisfaction.
Another study, in this case on the incidence of restructuring in companies and on the health of workers, prepared by Associated Labor for the Ministry of Employment of Spain and that includes data of the International Labor Organization (ILO), shows that "the crisis has made workers deal with fear and stress the possibility of losing their jobs. "
In addition, it is concluded that "there may be more accidents, injuries and even deaths at work due to cuts in personnel".
What can companies do to help survivors?
Experts recommend promoting greater communication, greater employee participation and recognition of the emotions that boil in the workplace to help survivors reduce or eliminate their symptoms and improve the work environment . "This fear, caused by the lack of communication from the company to the employee, can end up generating anxiety, anguish, panic attacks and episodes of crying," says psychologist Roger Puigdecanet of the Psychological Care Unit.
The fact that employees do not feel valued is also a trigger for many psychological problems within the organization. There are several studies that highlight the importance of transformational leadership when it comes to reducing stress, improving self-esteem, job satisfaction and increased productivity. This type of leadership is characterized by a high degree of communication with employees and the influence on the beliefs and interpretations of the meaning of the work that workers have, in such a way that it increases well-being.
According to Peiró, a professor at the University of Valencia, "the authentic transformational leader strives to do what is right and fair for all the interested parties of the organization and can willingly sacrifice his own interests for the collective good of his team. or your organization "
After the crisis, many companies are aware of the effects that this situation can have on the productivity , and increasingly strive to hire professionals specialized in motivating people who survive the readjustment of personnel. The director of Advantage Consultants, Sylvia Taudien, comments that "companies ask us for individual or group coaching actions to re-unite the team, teach how to assimilate change and manage fear".
In addition, Taudien regrets that "we are finding surprising cases of highly trained and well paid managers who in difficult times do not know how to lead and transmit confidence to their team and instead immerse themselves in their own pain for the situation of the company" .
conclusion
If companies are willing to make redundancies (especially on a large scale), it is more than likely that employees suffer some effects of the survivor syndrome. Anyway, The impact of this syndrome can be reduced if measures are taken to understand it and redirect the possible negative consequences it may have on the welfare of workers.
Appropriate communication and an effective leadership style can bring about improvements in the way workers perceive this situation and, in this way, minimize the consequences on their occupational health. Improving the welfare of workers will also have a positive effect on the health of the organization, that is, it will positively affect their performance in the market.
