Being the Boss may be bad for Your Health

Some people may look at the boss or supervisor and envy the position that they are in. They control all aspects of the work place. They set the tone for the relationships between co-workers, they get paid considerably more, and seem to have job perks that the rest of us can only dream about. The truth of the matter is the boss or supervisor may be paying for the extra cash and the perks with heartburn and other detriments to their health.

A recent study using information from 1800 workers showed that there are many negative aspects of the job that take a toll physically and mentally causing problems such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, more commonly known as heartburn, as well as fatigue, psychological distress and anger.

Prior to the findings of this study being reported in a popular scientific journal, it had long been the common thought that only the workers lower in job status would bear the ill health due to high demands and lower compensation. It has been proven time and again, that the average worker suffers from stress, higher occurrence of heart disease, and shorter life span than those in positions of authority.

This latest study contradicts those thoughts, noting that the additional responsibility in relation to hiring and firing, pay scale, and internal conflict between workers is related to higher rates of stress related mental and physical disorders. Data in this study showed a higher incidence of headaches, gastroesophageal reflux disease, anxiety, sleep disturbances, sadness and anger.

The responsibility of the job seemed to carry on from the work place to the home life causing chronic stress. Over a long period of time, this chronic stress manifests physically and affects the person’s ability to perform at the level they are comfortable with.

While this study does show that positions of authority carry these risks, it does not mean that these types of jobs no longer have the benefits we all think about. In fact they do, but it is important to balance the pros with the cons. So while the average worker does suffer from job related health disorders, we know now that the boss suffers as well. Its food for thought to help us all work better together for our own wellbeing.