MPH Course: Analyzing Job Strain in Call Centers and Law Enforcement

This report, prepared for a Master of Public Health (MPH) assignment, analyzes job strain in two distinct professional environments: call centers and federal law enforcement agencies. The assignment begins by summarizing the job strains identified in each setting, drawing from reports by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). It then explores the potential links between these strains and the incidence of injuries and illnesses, highlighting the impact of factors such as poor indoor environments, excessive monitoring, and long working hours. The report subsequently compares and contrasts the similarities and differences in job strain between the two professions, explaining the underlying reasons for these variations. Finally, it evaluates the recommendations made by NIOSH to alleviate job strain and offers alternative suggestions, supported by relevant research and resources. The report emphasizes the importance of addressing both physical and mental health hazards in the workplace to improve employee well-being and productivity.

Running head: MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Master of Public Health
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Answer: 1
Jobs in the call centers are stressful. Call centers operating in the United States is the
warehouse of stress. The reason highlighted against this mundane responsibilities, excessive call
monitoring, insufficiency incentives and dealing with angry customers. The study conducted by
Douglas et al. (2013) for Department Of Health And Human Services Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) highlighted that lack of
proper infrastructure and unhealthy indoor environment of the office further increases the level of job
stress in the call center1.
The level of job stress is also high among the federal law enforcement employees. The study
conducted by U.S Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) in Illinois in June 2014 highlighted that the federal law enforcement employees
report moderate job stress and low morale due to high level of workload, unfair treatment in the job
field, dissatisfaction with the team leads. Most common symptoms of job dissatisfaction are
depression and anger. US Department of Health and Human Services CDC and proposed the
implementation service procured by the labor management health and safety committee. This
committee will develop action plan in order to over employee stress2.
Answer: 2
One of the prime concerns behind the increase in the job stress in the call center is unhealthy
physical environment. For example, the side-rails of the call center’s common room at California are
missing. This creates health hazards and preventing employees of the call center of take recreational
break, increasing the level of stress further3. In call center, the main identified job strain is round the
clock monitoring of the quality of the call, interacting with aggressive or hostile clients, extra light in
the work-area which creates strain over eyes, inadequate breaks, no proper recreational areas, poor
indoor air quality, low morale and job control. All these factors increase job strains over the call
center’s employees. Increase in job strain creates mental stress and under constant mental stress or
pressure, these employees pass on to depression. Depression at time might force them to resign from
the job.
In relation to the federal law enforcement employees, partiality among the managers, lack of
proper workforce, lack of transparency in promotion increase the sense of depression, fatigue and low
self-esteem. This creates mental health hazards4. The fatigue and depression creates anger. The
1 Douglas M. Wiegand, Jessica G. Ramsey, CPE Gregory A. Burr, CIH JungHo Choi,. Lighting, Indoor
Environmental Quality Concerns, and Job Stress at a Call Center – California: Health Hazard Evaluation Report
HETA 2012-0081-3169. Department Of Health And Human Services Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). January 2013. Access date: 19th
November 2018. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2012-0081-3169.pdf
2 Douglas M. Wiegand and Stefanie M. Brown. Evaluation of Job Stress and Morale at a Federal Law
Enforcement Agency's District Facilities: Health Hazard Evaluation Program. Department Of Health And
Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH). June 2014. Access date: 19th November 2018. Retrieved from:
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2012-0160-3212.pdf
3 Douglas M. Wiegand, Jessica G. Ramsey, CPE Gregory A. Burr, CIH JungHo Choi,. Lighting, Indoor
Environmental Quality Concerns, and Job Stress at a Call Center – California: Health Hazard Evaluation Report
HETA 2012-0081-3169. Department Of Health And Human Services Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). January 2013. Access date: 19th
November 2018. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2012-0081-3169.pdf
4 Douglas M. Wiegand and Stefanie M. Brown. Evaluation of Job Stress and Morale at a Federal Law
Enforcement Agency's District Facilities: Health Hazard Evaluation Program. Department Of Health And
Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH). June 2014. Access date: 19th November 2018. Retrieved from:
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2012-0160-3212.pdf

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MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH
depression increases with the lack of adequate sleep at night. The police officers have round the clock
duty, which prevents adequate sleep at night these increase the level of depression among the police
personal in comparison to the public.
Answer: 3
The similarity in job stress among both the job profile is disruption of the equilibrium in the
health-related quality of life of the employees of both the organization. The differences in the job
stress in each case are: in call center, the main job stress, which hampers the health-related quality of
life is both physical and mental health hazard and in federal employee case study, the main job stress
is mental health hazard. The reason behind the similarity is whether it is physical stress or mental
stress, it both hampers the health related quality of life. In the call center, people need to work in night
shifts in long working hours while ensuring the quality and customer satisfaction, this takes a toll on
mental health. Moreover, there is lack of recreation hours, strong lights in office premises and lack of
proper ventilation, which hampers the physical health. The federal law enforcement employees or the
police personal also need to work for long hours. There are no fixed job timings for these personnel,
and then there is life risk. This takes a toll in the mental health hampering the health related quality of
life.
The difference between the jobs strains among the employees of the two different
organizations are: Federal law enforcement employees have life risk. They are constantly against the
criminals and other fugitive personnel. This life risk increases the bar of mental stress much above the
call center employees. However, employees of the call center, have no life risk, the apparently
polished indoors of their workstation is blamed for heavy lightening and lack of proper ventilation.
This increases their physical strain, strain over eyes and respiratory problems and increasing the job
risk.
Answer: 4
I agree with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
recommendation. In the case study of the call center, NIOSH recommended proper aeration and
adequate lightening along with installation of side-rails in the lobby in order to reduce the level of
stress. Healthy indoor environment helps to promote mental and physical well-being and thereby
preventing stress5. For the federal law enforcement employees, the recommendation was effective
communication among the employees this, will help to identify and the isolated or depressed
employee and thereby helping to work on their mental health. On the other hand, effective
communication will help to reduce miss understanding among the employees6.
5 McCaughey, Deirdre, et al. "The negative effects of workplace injury and illness on workplace safety climate
perceptions and health care worker outcomes." Safety science 51.1 (2013): 138-147.
6 Finney, Caitlin, et al. "Organizational stressors associated with job stress and burnout in correctional officers: a
systematic review." BMC public health 13.1 (2013): 82.

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MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH
References
Douglas M. Wiegand and Stefanie M. Brown. Evaluation of Job Stress and Morale at a
Federal Law Enforcement Agency's District Facilities: Health Hazard Evaluation Program.
Department Of Health And Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). June 2014. Access date: 19th
November 2018. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2012-0160-
3212.pdf
Douglas M. Wiegand, Jessica G. Ramsey, CPE Gregory A. Burr, CIH JungHo Choi,.
Lighting, Indoor Environmental Quality Concerns, and Job Stress at a Call Center –
California: Health Hazard Evaluation Report HETA 2012-0081-3169. Department Of Health
And Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). January 2013. Access date: 19th November 2018.
Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2012-0081-3169.pdf
Finney, Caitlin, et al. "Organizational stressors associated with job stress and burnout in
correctional officers: a systematic review." BMC public health 13.1 (2013): 82.
McCaughey, Deirdre, et al. "The negative effects of workplace injury and illness on
workplace safety climate perceptions and health care worker outcomes." Safety science 51.1
(2013): 138-147.