Strategies for coping with workplace depression - helping employees deal with the impact of downsizing

Black Enterprise, Sept, 1993 by Marjorie Whigham-Desir

IS THE MORALE IN YOUR OFFICE LOW? ARE you having trouble getting to work on time? Do you spend your day just going through the motions, and no longer enjoy what you do? Are you a survivor of a recent corporate downsizing? If you answer "yes" to most of these questions, you may be suffering from "workplace depression." Corporate psychologists coined this phrase to characterize the feelings of suppressed anger and anxiety that are widespread in today's workplace. The symptoms run from a general lack of enthusiasm and low productivity to high absenteeism coupled with a low rate of voluntary employee turnover.

The causes, like the symptoms, are myriad. While everyone experiences some stress in the workplace, the reasons vary, explains clinical psychologist Juanita Doss, Ph.D. Today many people feel the pressure of being overworked and underpaid; others have conflicts with co-workers or supervisors. Some people can't tolerate working in a situation over which they have little control. And it's normal for workers to become angry and disillusioned when they reach the "glass ceiling" and realize their career advancement is blocked, says Doss.

But don't despair--workplace depression can be overcome and managed. The first step is recognizing the job-related forces that foster anger and anxiety at work, and understanding how those feelings can affect your performance. The second step is to take measures to counteract the negative effects by, among other things, confronting and adapting to change, focusing on networking and professional development and making your emotional, physical and psychological well-being top priorities. The key: Learning to rely on yourself--not your company--for job security.

More Work, Less Workers

Psychologists agree that the recent wave of corporate layoffs has taken its psychological toll on the nation's workforce. About 28% of those who were unemployed in 1992 were white-collar workers. And, many more professionals worry that their jobs are in jeopardy. It's no wonder that an overall feeling of anxiety and malaise pervades the workplace.

When companies eliminate large numbers of workers, those who remain experience anxiety, says Therman Evans, M.D., president and CEO of Whole Life Associates, a stress-management firm based in Elkins Park, Pa.

"As companies downsize, responsibilities shift to those who remain; this can result in frustration, irritability, fatigue and ultimately burnout," adds Michael D. Cox, Ph.D., a psychologist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

While many companies offer assistance programs for their laid-off former employees, little is done for the survivors of the shakeout, Evans points out. These employees may suffer from Survivor's Syndrome. "The anxiety surrounding who's going next saps the energy, creativity and productivity out of the employees left behind. Some feel guilty, wondering 'Why am I still here?' This is especially true when a friend referred them to the company," says Evans, who was formerly vice president and corporate medical director at Cigna Cos. in Philadelphia.

Money is the No. 1 worry of those let go, says Price M. Cobbs, M.D., management consultant and president of Pacific Management Systems in San Francisco. Financial concerns eat away at many people who suddenly find themselves out of work.

But job loss affects our self-esteem as well as our wallets. "Our jobs are linked to our self-image," says Cox. When faced with a layoff, we experience feelings of inadequacy and failure.

In recent years, many companies that had no-layoff policies have been forced to let workers go. "Employees feel betrayed by the organization. They have put too much faith in the workplace to provide security, rather than in themselves," says LaVere E. Burdette, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and partner in the Detroit-based training and consulting firm, Burdette & Doss Associates.

As authors and human resource consultants Kenneth N. Wexley and Stanley B. Silverman point out in their book, Working Scared: Achieving Success in Trying Times, organizations that downsize violate two fundamental factors that motivate workers: the need for security and the desire for justice. Not only do surviving employees distrust the company, they also become more cautious. As a result, innovation and creativity are stifled.

It is out of this atmosphere of mistrust that the rumor mill is created. "People will fill the information vacuum with the worst-case scenario," says Evans. But psychologists say that rumors serve a useful purpose, helping to alleviate fears by providing information--accurate or not.

People worry about the unknown, and need time to prepare for its, says Cox. "They don't like to be given bad news abruptly; they don't want to feel out of control. Companies must improve the flow of communication to employees, which in turn will help relieve their anxiety," he adds.

Workplace Stress Is Different For Blacks

African-Americans are disproportionately affected by corporate downsizing because they are often the last hired, and believe they'll be the first fired, says corporate psychiatrist Cobbs, co-author of Black Rage and The Jesus Bag. "This generation of African-Americans came into the corporate workplace too naive about racism," he notes. Younger black professionals believe in meritocracies and are not sensitive enough to the issue of race, he says. "The blanket of racism is more convert and subtle today. Therefore, it is harder to get a handle on and develop strategies to combat it," he adds.