Time to Quit Your Job?

Work Environment: Toxic Workplace Harms Workers’ Health

Surgeon General issues report that shows poor working conditions correlate with physical health problems like cancer, heart disease, depression and anxiety

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

“Toxic” work environments describe places that are not just unpleasant but are actually harmful — and not necessarily in the way that OSHA can do something about.

“A toxic workplace is one where the employees are constantly in a state of stress and anxiety,” according to The Leadership Reformation. “This can be due to any number of factors, such as unrealistic deadlines, impossible workloads or simply a toxic culture where backstabbing and office politics are the norm. In a toxic workplace, employees are often afraid to speak up or voice their opinions for fear of retaliation. As a result, they may start to experience physical and mental health problems. “In contrast, a bad work environment is simply one that’s unproductive or unpleasant. This could be due to things like sub par working conditions, nonexistent or ineffective management, or just a general feeling of dissatisfaction among employees. While a bad work environment can certainly lead to stress and anxiety, it doesn’t have the same level of toxicity as a toxic workplace.”

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released a statement in October that shows poor working conditions correlate with physical health problems like cancer, heart disease, depression and anxiety.

“Workplace mental health and wellbeing is a critical priority for public health,” Murthy wrote. “It has numerous and cascading impacts for the health of individual workers and their families, organizational productivity, the bottom-line for businesses and the US economy.”

Physician Leslie J. Kohman, SUNY distinguished service professor of surgery, was appointed in 2020 as chief wellness officer at University Hospital, and wellbeing and mental health resources at SUNY Upstate Medical University. She said Upstate developed her position over the course of two years to further improve the work environment.

“In healthcare, burnout and high stress among workers started long

before the pandemic,” Kohman said. “The pandemic was the straw on the camel’s back.”

The nationwide burnout among healthcare providers has contributed to further staffing shortages that have been ongoing for numerous years. Staffing shortages have been listed by more than two-thirds of Upstate staff as contributing to their feelings of burnout.

Understaffing also contributes to workplace violence as patients must wait longer for services. Kohman said that patient and family member attacks on staff — both verbal and physical — have become “epidemic” nationwide. Some of the issue has to do with behavioral health patients who have no other place to go. People become impatient waiting in the emergency room for admission to beds unavailable because the health care system as a whole, including group homes and skilled nursing facilities, lacks staff to care for the patients.

“We are slowly, slowly lowering the turnover rates among nurses and we’ve re-opened most of the beds closed due to short staffing during the pandemic,” Kohman said.

In order to balance quality of care for patients and quality of life for employees, staff members have been asked to stay beyond their shifts and may not be able to take vacation when they choose. Upstate has launched support programs, including one with trained peers from other hospitals, so Upstate employees can maintain confidentiality. Upstate has more than 100 peer supporters, who are trained in reflective listening skills to support their peers in distress.

Another example is the Community Building at Upstate. A grant from the All in Fund supports a program where six or eight medical staff members get together monthly for a subsidized meal to talk and commiserate about workplace issues.

Upstate also plans to launch virtual reality break stations to allow employees to virtually spend quiet time at a beach, waterfall or other peaceful venue they can select from a menu.

Upstate also has “Pet a Pooch” visits from therapy dogs for employees monthly. The Pathway to Wellness program also has many events to boost resilience, such as walking trails around the campus and online sessions for 15 minutes of chair yoga.

“We are working on programs to address hotspots,” Kohman said. “If there is a unit or team that has experienced some kind of distress, we want to have a trained person go there and assist that group with managing their distress. We have hired a social worker who is only for the staff. We’ve also just brought on an evening chaplain who will work from 4 to 11 p.m. Half of her job description is to support staff.”

Kohman expressed pride in Upstate’s employees’ camaraderie in helping each other out during the recent tough times. But sometimes, going above and beyond to cover others’ shifts or duties can negatively affect employees’ own health and well-being.

“The issue is the infrastructure on a nationwide basis has not been there to support their wellbeing,” she said.

Although public patience with healthcare seems to be threadbare, “what we all have to do is just be compassionate and be very patient, acknowledging that we’re doing the best we can and hiring as fast as we can,” Kohman said. “If they don’t treat workers with respect, more will quit.”

At Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists in East Syracuse, Cheryl Holdrege, human resources director, said strengthening the workplace culture represents a big emphasis recently, including forming a diversity, equity and inclusion committee “so our patients walking through the front door look like them. You relate more to someone who looks like you.”

The committee also focuses on compassion, accountability, respect, excellence and service to patients and with one another. SOS brings in outside speakers to discuss aspects of maintaining good health such as nutrition and emotional wellness.

In September, SOS launched its SOS Cares cards program where employees receive companywide recognition for examples of caring to normalize it.

The SOS program represents an example of the shift in human resources away from stick towards that of the carrot. Instead of only punishing unwanted behavior, companies work on rewarding good behavior.

Naturally, employees’ different personalities don’t always see eye to eye. Nontoxic companies cannot and would not want to make each worker emotionless automatons. However, fostering an environment where different personalities are respected and celebrated generates esprit de corps.

“It’s about being positive and realizing that people have their own beliefs. It’s about being respectful,” she said. “But even if they’re not on board, we have to respect that there will be differences though we’re still going to do it.”

Holdrege believes that one of the things SOS is doing well is striving for a working environment where all employees are working together towards the goal of helping patients get better. This takes improving listening skills and avoiding reactionary responses.

“We’ve had to have people take a step back and listen to what people have said,” Holdrege said. “It’s active listening versus reactionary listening.”

This helps develop mutual respect among employees. SOS employs 723 among its nine physical locations and two surgery centers.

In addition to improved communication, SOS encourages fun to help with bonding, such as a dress-up party for Halloween and wellness events that encourage employees to get to know each other.

“We make sure we smile every day and have fun with each other,” Holdrege said.

Is Presenteeism Dead?

The days employees used to drag themselves to work, even when they were sick, seem to be over

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Employees used to drag themselves into work despite feeling ill. Glassyeyed and feverish, they’d take Dayquil or Comtrex to suppress symptoms and slog through the day.

Called “presenteeism” as opposed to “absenteeism,” the scenario means coming into work no matter what, whether illness, injury or family crisis has occurred.

It appears that presenteeism is as dead as dial-up internet.

Few employees will endanger health and sanity to haul themselves into work. Most employers don’t want them to. Employees are taking more time off for personal reasons, caring for relatives and mental health.

So, what flipped the switch?

John R. Halleron, advanced certified senior business adviser with the Small Business Development Center in Oswego, said it’s partly a generational shift, as people in the millennial and generation Z age range don’t want to work a job they hate for 45 years and then finally have a life.

“The boomers are starting to realize maybe we were wrong,” Halleron said. “I’m a boomer. I remember those days of going to work sick. If you weren’t there, you were in trouble. It’s no longer ‘work ‘til you drop’ but more about being productive and happy.”

It appears that employers have learned that when employees clock in while sick, they’re exposing the workplace to germs that will run amok through the place.

Having one employee miss a few days is better than the entire place slowing down for a week as an illness spreads.

Halleron also thinks that the COVID-19 pandemic has helped end the stigma associated with missing work for illness and encouraged workers to better care for themselves, including mental health.

“People understand that their health is important and to keep people productive, you need to give them the opportunity to chill and not burn out,” Halleron said.

Danielle Dexter, senior HR consultant with HR One Consulting in Auburn and Syracuse, said that changes in laws have helped decrease presenteeism.

“They’ve helped give the option for employees to have the time available to use if they need it,” she said.

In some industries, the option of working at home has also enabled employees to isolate themselves during an illness while still getting work done. Working from home represents another area in which COVID-19 has change the working world. With increased IT awareness and security, many compa-

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nies have permitted alternative working spaces for employees.

“Work-from-home wasn’t designed for that, but it has helped with work/life balance and helping people who are sick stay productive if they’re able to,” Dexter said.

Current sick leave law requires employers to protect their employee’s position with a paid and unpaid sick leave with the amount dependent upon the size of the company.

“Before, employees were more inclined somewhat out of loyalty to show up,” said Kathy Barany, owner of Strategic Management Solutions in Syracuse. “They also wanted to get the job done. “Paid sick leave and family leave comes with a job guarantee. The employer can’t discriminate or fire you. Paid sick leave is for employee sickness and paid family leave is to care for family members and other qualifying reasons.”

These legal shifts have helped change a long-ingrained mindset of attendance no matter what. Of course, on a small scale, a few employers hold it against employees when they take time off, but Barany said that these are rare.

The areas in which she still sees employees voluntarily exhibiting presenteeism include the industries in which workers tend to be more vested, such as medicine and the arts. Consultants and gig workers are also more likely to exhibit presenteeism.

106 W. First St. S, Fulton | 315-801-9153 Cnyfamilydentist.com | “The boomers are starting to realize maybe we were wrong. I’m a boomer.

I remember those days of going to work sick. If you weren’t there, you were in trouble. It’s no longer ‘work ‘til you drop’ but more about being productive and happy.”

John R. Halleron, advanced certified senior business adviser with the Small Business Development Center

As a consultant, Barany understands this perspective.

“No one pays me when I’m sick,” she said. “I have no PTO. I’m motivated by my own success. I use Uber every now and then and every time, I talk with the driver to tell me why he does this. Every single case, it’s flexibility. They work when they want to work and don’t work when they don’t want. It depends on the type of gig and whatever contract they have with their client.”

Barany encourages employers to base employees’ output not on hours in the chair but on production standards appropriate for the industry.

“Many employers are not as willing to step up to the plate and manage their employees,” she said. “I can write all the policies in the world, but until they step up and manage, it won’t help.”

She also noted that employers are becoming more aware of the need to send sick employees home if they’re still on the presenteeism bandwagon.

“If it could affect other employees, they have a legal right to do that under OSHA,” Barany said. “If the employee doesn’t have sick time left, they still need to go.”

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Farnham Expands Services

For residents in the northern part of Oswego County access to the vital counseling services offered through Farnham Family Services is easier than ever.

Farnham has added a location to better serve the county and now offers its NYS OASAS certified counseling services for people with substance use disorder or their effected loved ones in the ConnextCare building at 61 Delano St. in Pulaski.

“Our research shows that there is a need for counseling services in the greater Pulaski area and the northern reaches of the county,” said Senior Director of Services Chris Baszto . “We want to meet those needs. By bringing our services closer to home we hope to encourage people to visit our Pulaski site if they, or someone they know, could benefit from receiving our services.”

Farnham’s presence in Pulaski is a continuation of its efforts to ensure that those with substance use disorder, or those affected by another’s substance use disorder, can easily access the support they wish to receive.

“The opening of our clinic in Mexico last year was well received,” said Baszto. “The success of the Mexico clinic, which offers intensive and non-intensive outpatient services such assessments and evaluations for drugs and alcohol, individual and group counseling, certified recovery peer advocate services, and access to vocational counselors, inspired us to expand services to Pulaski.”

With its convenient location inside ConnextCare, Farnham is pursuing a partnership with ConnextCare to provide OASAS certified counseling from credentialed alcoholism and substance abuse counselors (CASAC) that provide specialized counseling for patients with substance use disorder.

“Every person’s struggle with substance use disorder is different,” said Baszto. “At Farnham we provide individualized care at a level our clients feel comfortable with. The counseling we provide is the perfect complement to the medical treatment those with substance use disorder are receiving.”

With the addition of the Mexico clinic and the Pulaski site Farnham is poised to ease the barriers for those wishing to access its services and continue its mission of reducing and eliminating the abuse of alcohol and other drugs in Oswego County.

Farnham Family Services is a NYS licensed, private, not-for profit organization that helps people with substance use and behavioral health disorders, providing high quality, recovery oriented outpatient treatment and prevention services that are available to all residents of Oswego and surrounding counties.

“Our research shows that there is a need for counseling services in the greater Pulaski area and the northern reaches of the county.”