Discussion An 'acceptable' level of suffering at work.

[Forever Sleep]

I suppose anyone who's struggled with something looks around at others who apparently seem to breeze through. Do you suppose that's accurate for one? Do some people genuinely breeze through life? Never struggle socially, never get stressed at work? Never struggle physically?

I definitely think we tend to struggle to various levels and with various things. I also think our ability to cope in the situation we are in varies. Even if we are struggling- some will still just about push through while for others, they may become catatonic.

But, do you ever wonder what 'should' feel acceptable or, normal? I've known relatively 'normal' and even seemingly confident people say they cried every morning before work. Some had to run into the toilets for a cry at work- because it all became too much. Myself and colleagues have picked up effectively lifelong ailments from working. My question is- when is it ok for someone to say they can't work?

Should it be down to the individual? If they truly feel they can't cope with it? Or, should it be decided upon by medical professionals?

I always wonder though. I read posts by people saying no one could cope with being them. They may well be right of course. But, how can any of us really know? Maybe the people we think are ok- maybe because they are working- actually aren't at all.

Of course, it would be great if we all got the choice but ultimately- I doubt enough would choose to work in order to carry those that don't. Maybe AI will solve that.

Sometimes I wish it were clearer- so it could be fairer. Imagine if we were like characters in a game that had a score for all our attributes- physical and mental strength, social abilities, abilities to cope with stress. It's so much harder when we can only go on what we describe as our strengths and weaknesses.

 

[Forveleth]

I do not have a full answer to this but one aspect I consider is where is the stress coming from? I have been involved with high-stakes projects but I welcomed the stress that came with it because the project was fun and the payoff was worth it. On the other hand, I have experienced stress over my coworker being an asshole or my working conditions being unnecessarily unpleasant (like the time the AC was not working for a full month in the summer). If you measured the amounts of stress involved with the second examples, they may be less than the first but it was stress I really should not have had to endure, which makes it worse. So, for me, the question is more where the stress is coming from rather than how much.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I do not have a full answer to this but one aspect I consider is where is the stress coming from? I have been involved with high-stakes projects but I welcomed the stress that came with it because the project was fun and the payoff was worth it. On the other hand, I have experienced stress over my coworker being an asshole or my working conditions being unnecessarily unpleasant (like the time the AC was not working for a full month in the summer). If you measured the amounts of stress involved with the second examples, they may be less than the first but it was stress I really should not have had to endure, which makes it worse. So, for me, the question is more where the stress is coming from rather than how much.

I've generally found the most stress comes from companies being understaffed and expecting too much of their workers. So- even if you can just about cope with the workload, feeling resentful you are being exploited creates its own stress/ resentment.

But yeah- it's generally other people that tend to cause problems. Situations in retail could become stressful when customers were (rightly or unreasonably) annoyed. I remember one staff member couldn't take it. She just stormed off and left someone else to deal with it. So- there are certain situations we can't all cope with. Certain situations we shouldn't have to either! Our pay grades aren't high enough to just stand there and take abuse. Some more considerate customers would insist on speaking to managers- to take it out on them instead!

I've done middle management jobs too and the stress there once more was an unreasonable workload- they even admitted it was a job for two people to a colleague before I started. Plus, other people not doing their jobs in time and, having to pick up their slack.

Now, I'm freelance. The stress there comes from getting projects last minute- again because people higher in the chain failed to meet their deadlines.

When I started out, I was just so happy to have work so- even with a very tight deadline, I'd still be a happy bunny. Now, I'm more cynical because I know these companies have likely been sitting on the decision for months. But, it will be me and people like me who stay up all night to try and get them out the shit! And, there isn't really the pay compensation in this line of work. It's just notoriously bad for this kind of thing.

I think there can be all sorts of stressors at work though. Caring about doing a good job when others don't so much. Not getting on with colleagues. Having rules imposed by people who have no practical experience of doing that job. I've witnessed several design flaws or rules in place with layout and equipment that made a person's job so much harder than it needed to be.

One of our managers in the retail job didn't like seeing rails of returned clothes from the fitting rooms out on the shop floor. So- staff would carry great arm fulls of clothing back and forth from the fitting rooms. A colleague of mine ended up injuring her wrist- all because our manager thought a rail on the shop floor for 30 minutes at a time looked untidy.

I suppose ultimately, it comes down to consideration. One way or another, I've been lower down in the food chain a lot. And so many times, jobs are made so much more difficult than they need to be because- it suited those higher up to not really consider or care. And because they know someone or other will need the job enough to put up with it.

I once spoke to a senior member of management- saying I wanted to do something a certain way to make it easier for the next team of people who would be handling it. The senior manager said: 'It's so nice you think like that.' Like- really? Isn't that a normal way to think?!! How can I do my job so that it helps out my colleagues? How do they think then? What can I do that's the bare minimum and then, just leave it for someone else to deal with?

But, even simply hating a job or, wishing you were doing something else can make the situation stressful. I tend to think all jobs have their own stressors.