Chapter 11 Key Terms

stress

A common aspect of the work experience. It is expressed most frequently as job dissatisfaction, but it is also expressed in more intense affective states—anger, frustration, hostility, and irritation. More passive responses are also common, for example, boredom and tedium, burnout, fatigue, helplessness, hopelessness, lack of vigor, and depressed mood. Job stress is related to lowered self-confidence and self-esteem. Complaints about health can be considered as psychological responses to stress, or they can be treated as indicative of some illness.

stressor

An environmental force affecting an individual.

wellness

Condition of being mentally and physically healthy, usually as a result of an individual's diet and exercise.

hypertension

A blood pressure greater than 140/90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) over repeated measurements; high blood pressure.

confidentiality

A commitment not to disclose information regarding an individual's performance in training (Chapter 7), or other personal matters (Chapter 11).

employee assistance program (EAP)

A job-based program operating within a work organization for the purposes of identifying troubled employees, motivating them to resolve their troubles, and providing access to counseling or treatment for those employees who need these services.

Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988

A law that mandated drug-free awareness programs among federal contractors and grant receivers. This includes informing employees about the availability of drug counseling, rehabilitation, and employee assistance programs.

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)

A law that prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals with disabilities and requires that employers make "reasonable accommodations" to help such employees perform their essential job functions.

Mental Health Parity Act of 1996

A law that took effect on January 1, 1998. It states that private employers with more than fifty employees who offer mental health coverage must offer annual and maximum lifetime dollar limits equal to those offered for "regular" medical benefits.

Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008

A law that was implemented in 2010, requiring mental health coverage equal to other forms of coverage (often referred to as full parity).

health promotion program (HPP)

A program similar to employee wellness programs (EWPs) that is made up of activities that promote employee behavior and organizational practices that ensure employee health and fitness.

constructive confrontation

A strategy calling for supervisors to monitor their employees' job performance, confront them with evidence of their unsatisfactory performance, coach them on ways to improve it, urge them to use the counseling services of an employee assistance program if they have personal problems, and emphasize the consequences of continued poor performance. _____ _____ proceeds in progressive stages; at each stage, employees must choose whether to seek help from the EAP, manage their problems themselves, or suffer the consequences of their actions.

counseling

A variety of activities, from informal discussions with a supervisor to intensive one-on-one discussions with a trained professional.

managed care

An arrangement where an organization, such as a health maintenance organization (HMO), insurance company, or doctor-hospital network, acts as an intermediary between a person seeking care and the physician. The general purpose of managed care is to increase the efficiency and decrease the costs of healthcare.

stress management interventions (SMIs)

Any activity, program, or opportunity initiated by an organization that focuses on reducing the presence of work-related stressors or on assisting individuals to minimize the negative outcomes of exposure to these stressors.

educational interventions

Programs designed to inform the employee about the sources of stress, what stress feels like, how stressors can be avoided, and how the individual can better cope with stress.

skill acquisition interventions

Programs designed to provide employees with new ways to cope with stressors affecting their lives and performance and help keep the effects of stress in check.

employee wellness program (EWP)

Programs that promote employee behavior and organizational practices that ensure employee health and fitness.

employee counseling services

Programs that seek to ensure that employees can overcome personal and other problems (such as alcohol or substance abuse or stress) and remain effective in the workplace.

reasonable accommodation

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, employers must make reasonable accommodations for employees with covered disabilities, before disciplining or terminating such employees. For employees with a covered condition (such as mental illness or substance abuse), this means that the employee must be offered the opportunity for treatment and have the necessary time for the treatment to take effect before firing for poor performance is justified.