Work - Volume 42, issue 1

Authors: Foley, Michael | Rauser, Edmund

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Objectives: This study reports trends in the pattern of injuries related to workplace violence over the period 1997–2007. It tracks occupations and industries at elevated risk of workplace violence with a special focus on the persistently high claims rates among healthcare and social assistance workers. Methods: Industry and occupational incidence rates were calculated using workers' compensation and employment security data from Washington State. Results: Violence-related claims rates among certain …Healthcare and Social Assistance industries remained particularly high. Incidents where workers were injured by clients or patients predominated. By contrast, claims rates in retail trade have fallen substantially. Conclusions: Progress to reduce violence has been made in most of the highest hazard industries within the Healthcare and Social Assistance sector with the notable exception of psychiatric hospitals and facilities caring for the developmentally disabled. State legislation requiring healthcare workplaces to address hazards for workplace violence has had mixed results. Insufficient staffing, inadequate violence prevention training and sporadic management attention are seen as the key barriers to violence prevention in healthcare/social assistance workplaces. Show more

Keywords: Assault injury, health care, occupational safety, surveillance

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-1326

Citation: Work, vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 67-81, 2012

Authors: Svedberg, Pia | Alexanderson, Kristina

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Objective: To study if sick leave among employees in the Swedish Police was associated with experiences of discrimination, harassment, or (threats of) violence. Participants: All employees in the Swedish Police in 2005. Methods: Analyses of data from a questionnaire to all employees; 74% (n=16,725) responded. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) between sick leave and the studied factors were assessed. Results: The rate of sickness absence was higher for women (12%) than for …men (8%) (p< 0.001). More women than men had experienced discrimination, while more men reported harassment from the public and experiences of threats or violence. ORs were significant between sick-leave and discrimination, sexual harassment, and violence, and higher for the men. Associations between harassment from the public, threats of violence or violence, and sickness absence were statistically significant for men only. Conclusion: The study identifies the importance of investigating discrimination, harassment, and violence in relation to health outcomes for both male and female Police employees. Show more

Keywords: Sick leave, sexual harassment, risk factors, gender, work

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-1333

Citation: Work, vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 83-92, 2012

Authors: Selden, Meridith Pease | Downey, Ronald G.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Objectives: The purpose of this study was to define a comprehensive construct, workplace hostility, encompassing sub-areas of harmful workplace behaviors. Key characteristics include: perception of the target, persistence, intentionality, nonphysical nature, and organizational affiliation. Participants: Pilot study participants (N=42, students and N=35, workers) were small convenience samples. Main study participants (N=393, 70% female) were working individuals and almost 50% reported 1 to 5 years in their current jobs. Methods: The two pilot …studies collected were surveys face-to-face. The main study used on-line surveys. Results: Based on the pilot studies, items from the Workplace Hostility Inventory (WHI) were judged as a reasonable set. Results from the main study suggested three subscales related to perceptions of being subjected to hostility: interference with work, denigration, and exclusion. Supervisors produced greater distress on all factors, but only exclusion predicted a desire to leave the organization. Distress was greater when the perpetrator was a woman or a group. After controlling for feelings toward coworkers and supervisors, WHI was not related to job satisfaction. Conclusions: The WHI was found to be an inclusive construct, representing numerous concepts. The WHI is comprehensive and global, encompassing the previous overlap in existing research. Show more

Keywords: Abuse, job satisfaction, job violence, toxic behavior

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-1332

Citation: Work, vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 93-105, 2012

Authors: Wagner, KC | Yates, Diane | Walcott, Quentin

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: This post-hoc analysis discusses a replicable workplace behavior change module called Men and Women As Allies, that was designed and implemented by a team of labor, management and community anti-violence educators at a private sector telecommunications employer. A job site-specific educational seminar linked issues of domestic violence to male bullying and workplace violence. It challenged social stereotypes about gender, taught skills to engage ally peer behavior and provided information on how to seek assistance from union, workplace and …external community resources. Show more

Keywords: Domestic violence, workplace awareness curriculum, male bullying, labor unions/management, allies

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-1334

Citation: Work, vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 107-113, 2012

Authors: Whitaker, Tracy

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Objective: This non-experimental, cross-sectional study examined social workers' perceptions of bullying work relationships and their ability to construct effective coping responses to perceived workplace bullying. Methods: Quantitative data were gathered through the use of a mailed questionnaire, and qualitative data resulted from semi-structured individual interviews. Participants: The quantitative sample consisted of 111 social workers from the metropolitan, Washington, DC area, who were employed in organizations. Two self-identified targets of bullying participated in …the interviews. Results: Nearly three of five social workers (58%) in the sample reported being the targets of demeaning, rude, and hostile workplace interactions more than once in the previous year. Targets were more likely to work in government agencies/military and mental health outpatient organizations (19% and 18% respectively). More than a third of targets (35%) held a direct service role (clinical/direct practice), whereas almost a third (29%) identified their role as administration or management. Conclusion: The findings from this study suggest that workplace bullying may be a problem for social workers and that the social work profession may need to develop tools and guidelines to help practitioners identify, confront and extinguish these behaviors. Show more

Keywords: Emotional abuse, hostile, colleagues, coping, victims

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-1335

Citation: Work, vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 115-123, 2012

Authors: Hartley, Dan | Doman, Brooke | Hendricks, Scott A. | Jenkins, E. Lynn

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Objective: Contribute to the prevention of workplace violence by providing information about the nature and circumstances of nonfatal assaults among U.S. workers. Methods: Data were collected from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System occupational supplement (NEISS-Work), a stratified probability sample of U.S. hospitals. Workplace violence victims identified from NEISS-Work voluntarily completed a followback interview detailing the nature and circumstances surrounding their workplace violence incident. Results: The majority of …workplace violence injuries treated in emergency departments resulted from simple assaults that did not involve any lost time from work. Almost two-thirds of these workplace violence victims filed only an internal report. Eighty percent of the victims returned to their same jobs and will not change the way they do their jobs as a result of the violent incident. Conclusions: Nonfatal workplace violence is an important risk for U.S. workers, particularly in some occupations and industries. Prevention strategies need to be tailored by occupation and work environment. Results from the healthcare section of this survey indicate high numbers of incidents during times when the healthcare workers were assisting patients with medical and non-medical needs. Show more

Keywords: NEISS-work, hospital emergency department, injury surveillance, healthcare workers

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-1328

Citation: Work, vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 125-135, 2012

Authors: Snyder, Jamie A. | Scherer, Heidi L. | Fisher, Bonnie S.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Objective: Despite work organizations' attempts to reduce sexual harassment, it continues to be a salient issue for employers across all occupations. Extending social disorganization theory to the work environment, this study examines the relationship between workplace organization, social ties, and sexual harassment victimization. Participants: Survey responses to the 2002 and 2006 Quality of Working Life module from the General Social Survey by a sample of 3,530 adult men and women employees in the United …States were used. Methods: Logistic regression models were estimated for men and women separately to estimate the effect of workplace characteristics on the risk of sexual harassment victimization. Results: Employees who reported poor workplace relations between management and employees and lower coworker social ties were more likely to experience sexual harassment in their work environments. Specific workplace characteristics such as low productivity, poor time management, and inadequate administrative support were significantly related to increased sexual harassment risk. No significant gender differences were found across models suggesting that the predictors of sexual harassment are similar for men and women. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that workplace characteristics are related to sexual harassment risk in the workplace. Suggestions for sexual harassment prevention, including management and organizational strategies, are discussed. Show more

Keywords: Sexual harassment, workplace violence, social disorganization theory, organizational characteristics, social ties

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-1325

Citation: Work, vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 137-150, 2012

Authors: Goodman, Glenn | Kovach, Laura | Fisher, April | Elsesser, Elizabeth | Bobinski, Daniel | Hansen, Jessica

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Objective: A systematic review of over 4600 abstracts was performed to address the effectiveness of the current cumulative trauma disorder (CTD) interventions focused on the upper extremities of computer users. Participants: The researchers were the study participants. They included one Professor of Occupational Therapy and five Masters of Occupational Therapy Students from a Midwestern University. The Professor of Occupational Therapy has been practicing for 29 years. Methods: The researchers employed stringent inclusion …criteria for this review based on similar systematic review papers. Criteria for high quality qualitative research were incorporated to include studies other than randomized-controlled trials. This approach considered knowledge gained from specific interventions that were studied in greater detail with fewer clients. Results: The results of this study identified 25 articles that met the inclusion criteria. Further review ranked the selected articles into high, medium, or low quality based on criteria adapted from other studies. The highest levels of evidence were found for education and training in ergonomics, forearm supports, ergonomic keyboards, ergonomic mice, and exercise/rest breaks. Conclusions: Two models of practice were created from this review to assist occupational therapists or other professionals with intervention strategies for computer users with CTDs. Show more

Keywords: Carpal tunnel syndrome, ergonomics, musculoskeletal disorder, repetitive strain injury

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-1341

Citation: Work, vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 153-172, 2012