We are all familiar with the theme of slavery that dominates the story of Passover, in which the Israelites are enslaved in Egypt.
My “Mirriam-WebsterDictionary”defines a slave as “a person who has lost control of himself and is dominated by something or someone else.” Today it is not uncommon for employees, shackled to their job with little freedom over the control of their careers, to feel like slaves.
Technically, of course, employees are voluntary workers and are legally free to leave whenever they please. In practice, however, this is not the case for many people. The job market today is extremely competitive in today’s poor economic climate, and the prospect of finding a job elsewhere can be daunting.
The following story depicts what happens when an employee is deprived of autonomy and job security. (The names and details have been changed to protect the identities of the individuals.)
Many therapists would agree that during the course of their careers there are those clients who leave an indelible impression due to the nature of their story and their strength of character. For me, that client was Natalie, 45, a mother of two young children.
Natalie encompassed all the qualities and characteristics of a dedicated and loyal employee. She was a hard worker, creative, a team player and a visionary. Her love of life and for her fellow human beings were appreciated by her co-workers and all those whose lives she touched.
Fifteen years prior to seeing me, Natalie joined a fledgling company shortly after graduating with a Master of Business Administration degree. She added much to the company’s ambience and attractiveness to its clientele.
Natalie loved her job with a passion, especially enjoying its easy-going atmosphere, and she was appreciated for her service and vision for the long-term goals of the company. She felt the autonomy she had was priceless. Her coworkers particularly loved Natalie’s sense of humor, her insight, and her ability to solve problems creatively.
Natalie was at the height of her career when it began to unravel with the hiring of a new manager, Mary, whose corporate and dictatorial style would prove devastating. New expectations meant less autonomy and more demands for increased productivity.
A new corporate atmosphere governed Natalie’s work place. Going to work felt oppressive, overwhelming, and stressful. Natalie did not feel appreciated by Mary, who clearly did not value Natalie’s style of work. Mary’s new established structure and protocol for the company meant a demotion for Natalie.
While Natalie understood that change was necessary to increase revenue for the company, given the depressed economic climate, she now felt dispensable. Her anxiety increased, her self-esteem plummeted, and her career seemed doomed.
What Natalie had worked for 15 years to accomplish seemed to slip away. She felt she had to conform, work harder and longer hours, and mute her voice and vision that initially had been so vital to the company.
During the course of treatment, Natalie and I explored and brainstormed on how she could cope in this new work environment and manage her feelings toward Mary.
We discussed how she needed to grieve for the loss of what the company was and what it had now become. She needed to let go of the idyllic past and accept this challenging present in a way that preserved her physical and psychological wellbeing.
However her dedication to the company was paramount and she had difficulty exploring the possibility of different job opportunities, especially given the depressed economic climate.
Even though Natalie was fortunate that her husband (who supported and encouraged her to leave the job) was the breadwinner in the family, her identity and self-worth were deeply tied to her professional commitment to the company. She also attributed much of her enjoyment and success at being a mother to the balance she created by having this career.
Natalie had difficulty seeing the forest for the trees until a fateful Monday morning when she awoke with chronic chest pains. An emergency visit to the hospital was the turning point.
She was diagnosed with a preexisting heart condition. Her work-related anxiety and stress definitely exacerbated her symptoms.
This was a wakeup call. Natalie had been given a second chance. She realized that she could have lost her life and family because of the oppressive and dictatorial work environment that deprived her of her autonomy and so much more.
With the love and support of her family and friends, and guidance from her therapist, Natalie began to embrace the possibilities of a new career and a future that did not include “a job to die for.”
Melanie Wasserman, MSW, LCSW, is a psychotherapist in private practice with Health Psychology Associates.
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