Workplace issues
Workplace issues are of great interest to psychologists, since most people spend a third of their adult lives at work. Work defines people in the most basic way, which is one reason retirement is so difficult for many people. For psychologists, other key issues include matching people and jobs, finding ways to reduce workplace stress and studying people's motivation and job satisfaction.
Adapted from the Encyclopedia of Psychology
What you can do
- Multitasking - Switching Costs
Subtle "switching" costs cut efficiency, raise risk.
- Managing your boss
Whether your boss is a lion or a pussycat, it helps to know how to manage upward.
- The Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program (PHWP)
PHWP educates the employer community about the link between employee health and well-being and organizational performance. It includes APA's Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards and a variety of resources for employers.
Getting help
- Find a Psychologist
- Still wearing the ‘kick me’ sign
Bullying isn't confined to childhood—it also happens in the workplace, where it's garnering more research attention.
News
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How low self-esteem can cost you the job
July 22, 2010, Forbes
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Working conditions pose problems for workers and employers
July 14, 2010, U.S. News & World Report
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Why we can't unplug on vacation
July 2, 2010, CNN
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Be a better worker -- take a vacation
June 16, 2010, The Vancouver Sun
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Are we joyless working machines?
June 3, 2010, CNN
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Workplace wellness programs foster good health
June 1, 2010, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Monitor on Psychology Articles
- Healthier workplaces and better bottom lines
May 2010
- R U txting at wrk?
May 2010
- Protecting our work force
March 2010
- Selling work to the unemployed
March 2010
- A more family-friendly ivory tower?
January 2010
Books
- The Aging Workforce
September 2005
- Creating High-Tech Teams
August 2005
- Counterproductive Work Behavior
November 2004
APA Offices and Programs
- Work, Stress and Health Office
The Work, Stress and Health Office promotes research, training, practice and policy to examine the impact of the changing organization of work on stress, health, safety and productivity in the workplace.
- The Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program (PHWP)
PHWP educates the employer community about the link between employee health and well-being and organizational performance. It includes APA's Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards and a variety of resources for employers.