Ask Dr. Mac » Life Balance

Archive for the ‘Life Balance’ Category

Stress leave problem

Tuesday, January 13th, 2009

Hi there, I have been on stress leave this week from work but my employer asked me to come and see them thinking it would ease my stress knowing what other options are avialable in the firm instead they just increased it. How do I address this, that stress leave should be stress leave and I should remain away from the work environment. The doctor has clearly written in her medical that I am booked off from that environment for the week.

-Sam

Hi Sam.

Your employer was trying to be helpful, from what I could tell. He/she wanted to provide some options for you upon your return, hoping that simply by knowing you do not have to return to the same position (that contributed to your work stress), would be a stress reducer it and of itself. Personally, I think that was a nice thing to do on their part.

The real issue is not the “effort” but the timing. Hence, you may want to talk with your employer and say something to the effect: “I appreciate your concern and your desire to alleviate my work stress. I will definitely take you up on the idea of exploring other positions in the company upon my return. However, I still need to have some consistent time away and would prefer we table this for now until I return. Is that something we can do?” This way you are acknowledging the positive intent and redirecting the solution until you return.

Hope that helps.

-Dr. Mac

viagra patent levitra! Womens Viagra viagra anxiety
taking viagra woman Viagra Uk cheap gerneric viagra,
generic viagra levitra and cialis pills Cheap Viagra “can i take viagra”
viagra how it works Buying Viagra Online herbal viagra forums;
snorting viagra health Viagra Fuerteventura Market viagra patent levitra!
viagra anxiety Viagra Pharmacy taking viagra woman
cheap gerneric viagra, Viagra Side Effects generic viagra levitra and cialis pills
“can i take viagra” Order Viagra viagra how it works
herbal viagra forums; Viagra Erection Duration snorting viagra health
viagra patent levitra! Viagra Lawyers viagra anxiety
taking viagra woman Cheap Generic Viagra cheap gerneric viagra,
generic viagra levitra and cialis pills Viagra Overdose “can i take viagra”
viagra how it works Viagra And Alcohol herbal viagra forums;
snorting viagra health Viagra Forum viagra patent levitra!
viagra anxiety On Viagra taking viagra woman
cheap gerneric viagra, Viagra Women generic viagra levitra and cialis pills
“can i take viagra” Buy Viagra Australia viagra how it works
herbal viagra forums; What Is Viagra snorting viagra health
viagra patent levitra! Viagra No Prescription viagra anxiety
taking viagra woman Order 50mg Viagra cheap gerneric viagra,
generic viagra levitra and cialis pills Generic Name Of Viagra “can i take viagra”
viagra how it works Viagra Effects On Women herbal viagra forums;
snorting viagra health Side Effects From Viagra viagra patent levitra!

Posted in Life Balance | Post a Question | No Comments »

When will it stop?

Wednesday, November 19th, 2008

Hi Dr Mac, I am experienced and very competent at what I do as an analytical chemist. I have demonstrated in a relatively new job that I can introduce new techniques, solve problems, support different projects and provide effective training. My manager does give me support and is very pleased with my progress. However the company expects a lot.

The concern I have is that there are increasing demands put on me and more so as the company has a temporary recruitment freeze. It is difficult to leave on time and I often go home feeling tired making it difficult to enjoy time with my friends. Obviously concerned I do not want to become stressed where it could affect my health.

I do enjoy many aspects of the job but a lot is expected. I have performed excellent in the role since I have been at the company. There are certain jobs which I am expected to do which are outside my field of expertise. This has been stressful. Appreciate please if you could advise how I could still demonstrate my ability and commitment but leave enough time and energy for myself away from work. It is not just time management, there is simply too much work for certain people. Brent

Hi Brent. I’m glad to see that you are enjoying your job (overall) and that your skills and abilities are being appreciated. That in itself is a big plus.

You mentioned that your company is in a “temporary” recruitment freeze. Should I assume that once that freeze is over that you will eventually be able to get back to a more balanced work demand?

It seems to me that it would be beneficial to have a discussion with your manager on this whole issue. In particular, addressing short-term versus long-term demands and expectations. If in fact your manager sees the increase in work responsibilities as merely a short-term situation that will resolve itself once the hiring freeze is over, then you have your answer and you’ll need to buck up for a short period of time. Not an unreasonable request, given our current economy.

If, however, the expectation is for you to assume responsibility for everything that is on your plate right now, then that’s a different discussion. My quick suggestion here would be to ask your manager to help you prioritize all the expectations and duties that you are responsible for, so that you can focus your time accordingly. With that said, I’d also encourage you to inquire about his/her thoughts on work-life balance in order to get an idea if you have support for further discussions on this issue or not.

Lastly, if the worse-case scenario happens and nothing changes, I wouldn’t give up. Instead, see if there are ways to redistribute workloads amongst colleagues in order to increase productivity while saving time. If you can come up with a better way to work within your department while saving time, propose that idea to your manager. I have found that managers are usually receptive to ideas that benefit the department and company as a whole. Hope that help a little. -Dr. Mac

Posted in Life Balance | Post a Question | No Comments »

Archive for the ‘Life Balance’ Category

Stress leave problem

When will it stop?

Blog Topics

Books