Is Your Micromanaging Boss Making You Sick?

The World Health Organization has published its final report on Social Determinants of Health and the work place is frought with peril if you want to be healthy–and no, it’s not just the toxins or bio-hazzards you might be exposed to–its also about your boss’s management style and the degree of contol you have about how you get your work done.

If the US is serious about reducing health care costs, then of course we need health care reform. But that isn’t enough.  Access to care after you become ill is an obvious necessity to improving overall health outcomes.  The untapped opportunity however, is in the quality of our worklife.  If employers want to spend less on health care, they may need to pursue improved management and leadership strategies.  In the UK, the organization for Health and Safety Executives is looking at six factors that contribute to stress.  Three of these are job demands, control and support. The message is clear, give employees a say in how they get their work done, set realistic demands and make sure they have the resources to meet expectations.  These may seem obvious but are these in place at your work site? Let’s talk about the workplace of the future as a Big Think idea.