Labor unrest: the problem of seeing work as a simple exchange

Work discomfort is an aspect to be taken into account because of its impact on individuals and companies.

If we were to establish a classification of recurring issues in therapy, we would undoubtedly have to pay attention to anxiety disorders, panic crises, depression or adaptive disorders that derive from work situations and relationships that occur in the workplace..

These situations can derive, for example, from a change in the head of a service or in the coordination of this, from ways of promoting the staff, from the incorporation of a new member within a team, from the way of dealing with conflicts and, possibly from many other situations.

It is a matter of realizing that personal relationships within a system such as the work environment are a source of emotional conflicts that some people do not know how to handle adequately or are unable to perceive without a great deal of associated suffering. adequately or fail to perceive without large doses of associated suffering.

Sources of labor unrest

Within the work environment there are power struggles, there are hidden alliances, there are even favoritism, protection and covert loyalties that can cause subtle abusive behaviors.

Some companies, both in the public and private sectors, are not entirely realistic in the management of Human Resources.This is counterproductive, as it can lead to overburdening some team members. This is counterproductive as it is a very effective way to burn out someone with good work potential and commitment within the organization.

A very common mistake is the lack of explicit job recognition. In order to recognize someone's work, whether for its quality, productivity, effectiveness or efficiency, it is necessary to know those details and to really know what that person does.

Sometimes, some managers or coordinators do not have this information in detail, or they undervalue the work of others in a veiled way because they consider it less important or less qualified. It is therefore essential to have an attitude of frequent recognition in order to generate a sense of worth in everyone on the team, regardless of their performance.

Another common mistake is not to directly address conflicts or issues that generate tension and discomfort.This can end up becoming a paradigm of behavior or a shared belief that some things cannot be touched or changed and, based on this idea, generate feelings of helplessness that gradually diminish someone's capabilities.

When a person feels bad at work on an emotional level, they often resort to taking time off work. If there is no interest in finding out what is happening, it may be the beginning of a loss of that person's functions, skills and abilities. Even if he or she remains with the company, his or her dedication, commitment and performance could change to detrimental limits.Even if they remain within the company, it could change their dedication, commitment and performance to detrimental limits, ending in an internal dismissal or in an economic and emotional burden for the team or the service in question.

Returning to the title of this article, it should be noted that many of these examples are subjectively perceived as situations of severe discomfort or mistreatment. When a conflict is not resolved and someone's frustration is perpetuated, they will perceive it as belittling, brushing them aside and mistreating them.

Thus, lack of recognition can be perceived as indifference or lack of relevance and also as almost humiliating treatment. The power struggles that end up differentiating positions of some people protected against others exposed to constant reproach, can also cause a feeling of mistreatment.

The importance of these arguments is clear, since all this translates into money, benefits or lack thereof. The higher productivity of people who feel good about their work compared to those who do not feel good has been widely studied and documented, so there is no doubt about it.There is no doubt that addressing happiness at work pays off.

Work contexts that allow us to be happy

Happiness at work depends on objective factors and others that will be subjective. It is subjective whether someone likes more or less the work they do and their chosen profession.

It is objective to have a professional purpose and, therefore, to know that your work matters within the organization; it is also objective to foster a climate of optimism and healthy and effective communication, allowing people to express themselves and be heard.

It is essential not to overload someone even though they have a great capacity for work, the principle of equity and fairness must be present.. Of course, recognize the work done and praise the strengths of each person explicitly and with the appropriate frequency. In short, making people feel valued, recognized and visible within the organization helps them to feel good in their professional environment, and that is certainly worthwhile.