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RESEARCHERS HAVE RECENTLY FINISHED A STUDY ON HEALTH & ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTS OF WORKPLACE
26 October 2000 - Boston University
| Researchers at Boston University School of Public Health have recently finished the largest study of its kind on the health and organizational effects of workplace restructuring and downsizing. The results show that employees experiencing downsizing in their workplace are more likely to suffer from medical symptoms, overall mental health issues and a decreased sense of job security. |
Conducted from 1991 through 1998, the BUSPH study, with funding from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, surveyed more than 10,000 Department of Energy employees at the following sites: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Nevada Test Site, Oak Ridge Y-12 Facility, Idaho National Environment and Energy Laboratory, and the Pantex Plant. "We found that employees who are well-informed about downsizing and reorganization experience fewer negative health effects than those who are not informed," says Lewis Pepper, MD, MPH, principal investigator and associate professor of health, Boston University School of Public Health. "Additionally, union members reported fewer medical problems and lower perceived stress than non-bargain unit employees," adds Pepper. Those who perceived a fair process of downsizing reported fewer medical symptoms and conditions, lower occurrence of survivor syndrome symptoms, and greater job security and higher employee morale. Employees with negative experiences reported more medical problems, poor health, compromised mental health, more stress, job insecurity, and poor work performance. The study began after the U.S. Congress passed Section 3161 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1993 outlining an approach to workforce reductions in the nuclear weapons industry. As a result, the DOE, with funding from the, was selected to study and recommend ways to lessen the impacts of workforce reductions on individual and organization health. Since 1993, there have been 46,000 layoffs of prime contractor employees at DOE sites. More than 14,000 DOE employees at the five DOE sites were downsized during the study period through voluntary and involuntary layoffs. Established in 1976, Boston University School of Public Health is a leading academic and public health research institution, with an enrollment of more than 600 students and nearly 350 full and part-time faculty. It is known for its programs in environmental health, epidemiology and biostatistics, health law, international health, maternal and child health, among others.
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About: Boston University
Boston University has a well-deserved reputation for excellence in research in a wide range of disciplines and a demonstrated commitment to fostering innovative interdisciplinary research. The Office of the Associate Provost for Research and Graduate Education supports the University in facilitating research at the both the student and faculty levels.Our mission is to enhance and encourage research at Boston University and to provide a climate conducive to maintaining the University at the cutting edge of research and scholarly activities. We work with the Boston University community to plan and coordinate interdisciplinary research and represent the University in research matters related to Inter-University consortia. To encourage new, innovative, and cross-disciplinary efforts, this office administers the Special Program for Research Initiation Grants (SPRInG). We showcase graduate research at Science & Technology Day. This annual event features nearly 200 research posters by graduate students from both the Medical and Charles River Campuses working in a wide range of disciplines. Our annual research magazine, Research at Boston University, informs a wide audience about a selection of our significant research findings and ongoing studies at Boston University. We also maintain a strong presence on the web through this site and through the Science Coalition’s website, which brings our research successes to the attention of Congress and other policy makers in the federal government. To assist Boston University researchers, this office oversees the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program and coordinates with the Office of Sponsored Programs on the Charles River Campus , the research administration on the Medical Campus, the Office of Research Compliance, and the various graduate programs. For the development of commercially viable ideas, we administer the Provost's Innovation Fund and work closely with the Office of Technology Transfer. We also coordinate proposals where there are institutional limits to the number of proposals that may be submitted, cost sharing requirements, significant laboratory renovations, or other special circumstances. This office assists departments and centers to achieve a diverse faculty and graduate student body through our membership and activities with the Northeast Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate and through our affiliation with the Clare Boothe Luce program of the Henry Luce Foundation. |
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