Perspectives on Women and Mental Health in the Workplace

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Perspectives on Women and Mental Health in the
Workplace
Donna S. Lero, Ph.D. University of Guelph
Centre for Families, Work and Well-Being

• X effects Conference
• Womens College Hospital
• April 1, 2009

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Alternative Perspectives

• A focus on mental health in the workplace(but
  Gender blind)
• A focus on organizational and work factors
  isolated and decontextualized
• Recognition of unique challenges of combining
  work and caregiving a womans issue
• Womens mental health - viewed ecologically with
  multiple determinants and influences

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Contextualizing Womens Work Experiences

• Careers and jobs
• Making trade-offs
• Womens work
• Womens pay
• Precarious work

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Contextualizing Womens Work Experiences

• Careers and jobs
• Making trade-offs
• Womens work
• Womens pay
• Precarious work

Considering Poor women, Immigrant women,
Aboriginal women, Women with disabilities or
health problems
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Contextualizing Womens Work Experiences

• Careers and jobs
• Making trade-offs
• Womens work
• Womens pay
• Precarious work

Considering Immigrant women, Aboriginal women,
Women with disabilities or health problems
Considering Power, violence, access to resources
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What Has Changed (and Not Changed) Over Time?

• Changes in womens roles changes in families
• Changes in Where, When and How we Work
• Changes in the Economy
• Changes in HR Practices
• Changes in Public Policies, Programs and Services

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Women in the Labour Force

• Women in the labour force
• 64 of mothers with a child lt 3 are employed
• Most couples with children are dual earners
• Women as sole or primary earners

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Changes in Families

• Evidence of greater father involvement
• More fathers doing more housework and child care
• Stay at home dads
• Fathers taking parental leave

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Changes in Work

• Longer work hours
• Working faster
• Work intensification / Work Load
• More precarious work short term/ temporary/
  self-employed
• More non-standard work hours
• Opportunities for flex schedules, flex place,
  flex careers?
• Workplace culture change?

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The Elephant in the Room
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New Technologies

• A blessing and a curse

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Evidence of Increased Work Stress and Work-Life
Conflict

• Major studies are consistent
• Work-life conflict has increased over the
  decade
• Employees' mental health has declined
• Employees attitudes to work are deteriorating
• More job stress
• Less job satisfaction and commitment

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Role Overload and Conflict Between Work and
Family 1991? 2001?
Duxbury Higgins, 2001
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Caregiver Strain

• 26 of employees reported high caregiver strain
  in majority of caregivers are women
• Related to caregiving intensity
• Caregiver Burden, Risks
• Financial -- Physical -- Emotional
  -- Social
• Related to support as a caregiver and resources
  available
• Associated with absenteeism, depression,
• distraction and difficulties at work

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Consequences of High Role Overload and Job Strain

• Lower job satisfaction
• Intent to turnover
• Lower productivity
• Increased costs re Health Benefits
• Recruitment and Retention costs
• Impacts on co-workers
• Customer / client satisfaction

• Burnout, Disengaged
• Job Stress
• Absenteeism
• Depression
• Clinical depression within 2 years
• Physical health impacts
• Family impacts
• Quality of care

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Change in Key Mental Health Outcomes
Over Time(1991 vs. 2001)
Duxbury Higgins, 2001
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Employee Attitudes and Outcomes 1991 vs. 2001
Duxbury Higgins, 2001
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Key Contributors to Workplace Stress and Job
Strain

• In the Workplace
• Long work hours, work overload and pressure
• Lack of control over work
• Lack of participation in decision making
• Poor social support, low co-worker support
• Unclear management and lack of role clarity
  stress related to work role expectations

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Shields, 2006
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Shields, 2006
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3 Levels of Response

• Women / Family
• Key decisions Resources available
• Coping strategies
• Organizational / Workplace
• Accommodations? Best places to work?
• Public Policy and Community Supports
• Our social infrastructure

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Individual and Family Responses

• Coping Strategies for Combining Work
• and Care
• Superwoman syndrome
• Reduce demands
• Compartmentalize / Integrate
• Redefine role expectations
• Share role functions with others

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Organizational Change

• Best Places to Work
• Focus on employee engagement
• Workplace culture work and life
• Flexible options without sacrificing career
• Attention paid to resources to help workers and
  managers succeed
• Gender equality
• Individual Solutions, Empowerment

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Flexible Work Schedules

• How flexible? In what ways? With what
  consequences? For whom
• Schedule control (indiv. or team)
• Managers are key
• gatekeepers / promoters
• Need for guidance in planning, monitoring,
  evaluating performance
• models ( or - )

Kelly Moen 2007
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Higgins, Duxbury Lyons, 2007
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A Challenge and an Opportunity

• Focus on Employee Engagement
• Focus on Workplace Health
• Opportunity for Work Redesign and New Learning
• Culture Change
• Can economic crises result in more creative
  possibilities?

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Women and Mental Health in the Workplace

• Key issues / concerns
• Womens contributions
• Depression, anxiety, stress
• Risk Factors, Challenges at work and in
  broader social context
• Opportunities for social change

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Acknowledgements
Funders The Jarislowsky Foundation Contact
Dr. Donna S. Lero The University
of Guelph dlero_at_uoguelph.ca www.worklifecanad
a.ca