Priya is 29 years old. She is a hardworking individual who always needs to be in control of everything that she does. Priya has always dreamt of becoming an industrial psychologist and worked tirelessly to get into a Master’s programme. She completed her thesis in less than a year. After her master’s degree, she went straight into her internship. Upon completing her internship, she was appointed as an HR officer at Pioneer Consulting Ltd, a leading HR and business consulting organisation. Pioneer Consulting Ltd offers a range of services to its clients including recruitment support, payroll assistance, labour relations, as well as psychometric testing. When Priya first started at the organisation in 2019 she was excited to receive exposure into various functions of Industrial Psychology. However, during 2020 and the worldwide pandemic her life completely changed. Due to COVID-19 and the economic downturn Pioneer consulting was hard hit, resulting in a lot of retrenchments and layoffs within the organisation. Priya’s workload tripled as she now had to assist in various departments and with additional functions. Priya, being a hardworking and diligent individual, started working longer hours and over weekends just to keep afloat.
Priya felt very overwhelmed as she was constantly drowning in deadlines and work pressure. She thought of speaking to her line manager Natasha, however, she and Natasha had never hit it off. Natasha was well known for her extreme management style and high expectations. After the retrenchments and whilst undergoing structural changes, Natasha announced to the staff that she didn’t care about anyone’s personal feelings and that everyone should just get on with their work. So, in Priya’s mind, approaching Natasha would only make her look weak and would potentially lead to her losing her job. The last six months have been tough on Priya. She is constantly tired and drained of energy, and she has been struggling to recover from a month-long cold. She experiences constant migraines and back pain. Because of long hours, she often drinks 6–7 cups of coffee per day, and has recently started to suffer from stomach ache. Priya is constantly on the go and due to her busy schedule, she hardly has time to connect with friends or family. In fact, she cannot even remember the last time she relaxed or took a break. With another month on the horizon, Priya’s physical condition seems to be getting worse with more and more frequent migraines and muscle aches. She has also become more on edge and irritable, often taking out her frustrations on her colleagues and her fiancée, Raj. She also feels chronically fatigued and even the smallest of tasks takes her longer to complete. Priya was always someone who excelled at her work, yet recently she feels that no matter what she does, it just isn’t good enough. She has never experienced anything like this before and sees no way out of this situation. Lately she hates going into work and has found herself often being late, as well as forgetful of meetings and appointments. One of the senior managers, Martin, notices Priya’s drastic decline in performance, as well as her increased use of sick leave. He realises that she needs help to overcome the situation. The only problem is that Pioneer Consulting does not have an on-site wellness department. Although Martin understands the basic principles of wellness, he simply does not know how to implement them within Pioneer Consulting
1. What are the factors causing Priya’s job stress?
2. Identify the physical and behavioural symptoms of stress that Priya is experiencing.
3. After 6 months of prolonged stress, Priya’s condition worsened. What condition is Priya now experiencing? And what are the physical, emotional, and behavioural symptoms of this?
4. You are a wellness consultant who has been approached by Martin. You are therefore asked to do a short presentation about the key benefits of a wellness programme. Given Priya’s situation, what benefits would you include in your presentation to Pioneer Consulting
5. Martin seeks your assistance in implementing a wellness programme for Pioneer Consulting. What components need to be included if the organisation wanted to develop its own wellness programme?
6. In light of this case study, reflect on the following questions:
a) In what ways have you worked on maintaining a balance between the demands of your studies and your own personal sense of wellbeing?
b) b) Does your institution or university have programmes or policies in place to promote wellness and have you made use of them
answer the questions in accordance to the introduction to human resource management fresh persperctive 3rd edition
1. Priya’s job stress is caused by the increased workload and pressure due to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn, the experience of retrenchments and layoffs within the organisation, and the lack of support from her line manager, Natasha.
2. Priya is experiencing physical symptoms of stress such as migraines, muscle aches, back pain, chronic fatigue, stomach ache, and increased consumption of coffee. She is also exhibiting behavioural symptoms such as irritability, forgetfulness, tardiness, and declining performance at work.
3. Priya is likely experiencing burnout, which is characterised by physical symptoms such as exhaustion and sleep disturbances, emotional symptoms such as detachment and cynicism, and behavioural symptoms such as reduced effectiveness and a sense of ineffectiveness.
4. The benefits of a wellness programme that would be relevant to Priya’s situation include reducing stress, managing workload, improving sleep, enhancing physical health, and promoting work-life balance.
5. Components of a wellness programme for Pioneer Consulting could include stress management training, workload management tools, physical activities such as yoga or fitness classes, mental health support services, nutrition education, and work-life balance initiatives such as flexible working hours.
6. a) As an AI language model, I do not have personal experiences.
b) It is not applicable to me as I am an AI language model, rather than a person in an institution or university.
1. The factors causing Priya's job stress include:
- Heavy workload and increased responsibilities due to retrenchments and layoffs within the organization.
- High expectations from her line manager Natasha, who has an extreme management style.
- Lack of support from Natasha, who made it clear that she didn't care about anyone's personal feelings.
- The economic downturn and impact of COVID-19 on Pioneer Consulting, leading to increased pressure and workload.
2. The physical symptoms of stress that Priya is experiencing include:
- Chronic fatigue and lack of energy.
- Migraines and headaches.
- Back pain.
- Stomachaches.
The behavioral symptoms of stress that Priya is experiencing include:
- Increased irritability and mood swings.
- Taking out frustrations on colleagues and her fiancée.
- Decline in performance and productivity.
- Increased use of sick leave.
- Being forgetful and regularly being late.
3. After 6 months of prolonged stress, Priya is now experiencing burnout. The physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms of burnout include:
- Physical symptoms: Chronic fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, and decreased immunity.
- Emotional symptoms: Feelings of detachment, cynicism, and a sense of ineffectiveness or lack of accomplishment.
- Behavioral symptoms: Decreased performance, increased absenteeism, and negative attitude towards work.
4. In the presentation to Pioneer Consulting, the key benefits of a wellness program that could be highlighted include:
- Improved employee well-being and mental health.
- Decreased stress levels and burnout.
- Increased productivity and engagement.
- Reduced absenteeism and turnover.
- Enhanced teamwork and collaboration.
- Improved physical health and energy levels.
- Enhanced work-life balance.
5. If Pioneer Consulting wants to develop its own wellness program, the following components should be included:
- Employee needs assessment to identify the specific wellness needs and preferences of the employees.
- Implementing stress management and resilience training programs.
- Providing access to mental health resources and counseling services.
- Promoting work-life balance through flexible work arrangements and time-off policies.
- Creating a supportive and inclusive work environment that values employee well-being.
- Offering physical wellness initiatives such as fitness classes, ergonomic assessments, and healthy eating programs.
- Providing resources and tools for financial wellness and personal development.
- Establishing a communication and awareness campaign to promote the wellness program and encourage employee participation.
6. a) To maintain a balance between the demands of studies and personal well-being, individuals can:
- Prioritize self-care activities such as exercise, healthy eating, and sufficient sleep.
- Take regular breaks and rest periods to avoid burnout.
- Set realistic goals and manage time effectively.
- Seek support from friends, family, or counseling services when needed.
- Practice stress management techniques such as mindfulness or meditation.
b) Reflecting on institutional programs or policies:
- Institutions or universities may have wellness programs in place to promote the well-being of students.
- Students can make use of these programs by attending workshops or seminars on stress management, mindfulness, or self-care.
- Accessing counseling services provided by the institution can also be beneficial for students experiencing excessive stress or mental health difficulties.