discussion 1

Answer 2 questions, and reply classmate comments

1. What do you find stressful on your job? Do you think companies should try to eliminate stress or instead help/teach employees to deal better with stress?

2. Work and family conflict is a vital issue in the workplace. How do you think the two are related? Which should take priority, work or family? Do you think your response would change as you got older?

Classmate’s comments:
1. I found that difficult management was the most stressful. When I worked in retail, I got all kinds of different customers, so it was to be expected when a “difficult” one came along. However, having the support of a good management team would make the situation easier, along with helping me keep my levels of stress down so that way I could assess the situation with a clearer head. I had a mix of both helpful managers and also unhelpful managers, and it can really make or break the situation. I also think that companies should both try to eliminate stress and help their employees cope with it. They should eliminate unnecessary stress, but some stress is inevitable and unpredictable, so helping employees cope with that would be beneficial for them in both their job and other situations in life.

2. I think that they are interrelated. If one is bothering you, then that stress may seep into that other aspect of your life. We cannot just walk away from stress in either work or our family lives, it tends to carry over. I think that overall, as a person, family should be a priority as that is your main support system. Making sure that you are not neglecting your work is important as well, but I also think that this answer depends on where you are in life. I think that as you get older, family does become more important once you are more stable in your career.