Date: 2010-06-15
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 4855. the WorkLife Balance Award Act." Thank you to my colleagues: Congresswoman WOOLSEY and Congressman MILLER for introducing this important legislation that establishes. in the Department of Labor. an annual WorkLife Balance Award for employers that have developed and implemented worklife balance policies. We are all aware of the benefits of holding a job. but too little attention has been paid to the dangers associated with stressful working conditions. Long hours have a significantly negative impact on life satisfaction and timerelated stress. which in turn have a negative effect on wellbeing. Nonstandard work hours. and stressful workplace environments cause health problems. higher levels of stress. psychological distress. greater relationship conflicts for dualincome couples. less time spent with children and lower life satisfaction. A peerreviewed study of 10.000 Londoners tracked since 1985. published in the European Heart Journal. found that rates of angina. nonfatal heart attacks and death from heartrelated conditions were 60 percent higher in people who worked at least three hours beyond "the normal. sevenhour day" compared with those who didnt work that amount of overtime. The study notes that overtime work "has increased in recent years" and that the U.S. is one of the countries that is well above average in percentage of people working overtime. A Canadian study found that "people experiencing time pressure have lower levels of satisfaction. higher levels of stress. lower selfreported physical and emotional wellbeing. and greater insomnia. Worklife conflicts can lead to higher levels of anxiety and depression. sleep disturbances and a host of other ailments." The World Health Organization (WHO) highlights recent research in the domain of occupational health psychology shows that many stressful experiences are linked to being offendedfor instance. by being offended or ridiculed. by social exclusion. by social conflict. by illegitimate tasks. According to the WHO. "Such experiences of being treated in an unfair manner constitute an Offence to Self. and this may have quite far reaching consequences in terms of health and wellbeing." In the United States. the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is greatly concerned with the health effects of workplace stress. According to the CDC. "evidence is rapidly accumulating to suggest that stress plays an important role in several types of chronic health problemsespecially cardiovascular disease. musculoskeletal disorders. and psychological disorders." Mr. Speaker. although some employers create unhealthy work environments. other employers now recognize that staff who feel able to balance the demands of work and home are more engaged. productive and motivated. These trendsetters deserve to be recognized for their compassion and leadership. This is why I support the WorkLife Balance Award Act. Research has identified organizational characteristics associated with both healthy. lowstress work and high levels of productivity. According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). examples of these characteristics include: recognition of employees for good work performance. opportunities for career development. an organizational culture that values the individual worker. and management actions that are consistent with organizational values. Mr. Speaker. widespread workplace stress is costly to our citizens and our nation. Stressful work environments ruin lives and are costly to our healthcare system. It is often said that prevention is the best medicine. establishing a balance between work and life is a vital disease prevention measure. Once again. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.