Does your job make you sick?  Or are you sick of your job?  For many people its one in the same.  But research has a lot to say about what makes one job healthier than another, and the facts are worth noting.

What makes a job unhealthy?
Four factors play a major role in determining whether your job will make you ill and increase your health care costs.  These include having a job that has too much to do in too short a period of time over a long duration (High Demand); not having enough influence over the way your job is done on a daily basis (Low Control); having to exert to much mental energy over a long duration (High Effort); and, not receiving adequate feedback on your performance, or being recognized for work well done (Low Reward).

The combination of a High Demand-Low Control job condition compared with a high demand/high control, or low demand/high control doubles the rate of heart and cardiovascular problems; increases anxiety, depression, and demoralization; increases alcohol and prescription drug use; and significantly increases susceptibility to infectious diseases.
The combination of High Effort-Low Reward compared with high effort/high reward conditions more than triples the rate of cardiovascular problems; and, significantly increases the incidence of anxiety, depression, and conflict-related problems.

When you combine High Demand- Low Control with High Effort-Low Reward conditions there is an increase in back pain and repetitive strain injuries in addition to the other problems mentioned.  Workers who experienced this type of job environment also had over five times the rate of colorectal cancer.

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the American Psychological Association, improved training, better job design, and reduction of stress in the workplace are important tasks that can contribute significantly to the promotion of health and well-being, the prevention of work-related psychological disorders, and reduction of health care costs.

It is in the best interest of every employer to insure that every job is designed in a way that allows workers enough control over the demands placed upon them, and provides sufficient rewards for the effort expended.  When there is an imbalance in Demand and Control, or Effort and Reward it creates conditions that lead to increased stress and eventual illness.   By making sure these conditions are in balance employers and managers are provided a powerful ability to enhance worker health, control health care costs, decrease absenteeism, and promote productivity, quality, and performance.

What can you do if you have a job design imbalance that is causing you undue stress and illness?

1.  Talk to your supervisor about the situation.  Make them aware of the problem, and use the above information as support.  Approach them in a manner that works to improve the situation rather than cast blame.  It’s about making conditions better so that you will do better for the organization—not a whining session.  Most managers are unaware of the relationship between health and work, and how these work conditions can impact not only your health, but the health of the organization in terms of profit, productivity, and performance.

2.  Look for ways to increase control or decrease demand.  For example, can you be more involved in the decisions that affect your job responsibilities?  Can you have more flexibility in your work time or due dates? Do you need to hire another person?  Can you get assistance from someone else?  Is the job process inefficient and in need of modification?

3.  Look for ways to increase reward for your efforts.  This is not always possible since rewards are often distributed by others.  However, can you find ways to negotiate rewards that are of value to you?  Rewards are not always monetary, they also include time, resources, opportunity, and autonomy.  

4.  Look for alternative employment.  Although easier said than done, if your job is causing you excess stress and illness it may be better to work somewhere else. If you do look for another job, during the hiring process ask questions about the amount of control you will have over your work demands, and what are the rewards or opportunities for your efforts.

Work is central in our lives, so efforts we take to improve the conditions of our work can only improve our health, our quality of life, and the health of the businesses we work in.