Desk Rage
Do you work in a culture of rudeness? Consider two reactions a lab tech can have after answering a telephone call from a "demanding" physician:
In the first case, the lab tech is polite through gritted teeth but slams the telephone receiver down with a loud bang. She kicks the cabinets in her department, clenches her fists and growls. When a co-worker asks what's wrong, he gets an earful. Fifteen minutes of productive work time are lost.
In the second case, the lab tech is polite, although frustrated. After she hangs up, she closes her eyes and counts to ten. She can feel her face getting hot. When a coworker asks what's wrong, she asks if he would mind covering her bench until she returns from a break. She walks around the building until calmed down. She returns and talks to her manager about the incident.
We should be able to control our reaction to rudeness, but sometimes, an honest reaction is what it is. Did the rudeness of the caller justify the actions in the first case? And what can the manager do about it in the second case?
Stress leads to frustration which leads to anger vented on telephones, computers and even coworkers. It's called "desk rage" here, citing a national survey in which one in ten respondents say physical violence has occurred at work. And it's not only violence. Rudeness and theft are becoming more common in American workplaces. One study of 1,500 workers shows over half lost time worrying about rude behavior or "lowered their commitment" because of it.
An environment in which workers skip lunch, work longer hours, and are asked to do more with less is prone to violence. Will a laboratory shortage increase frustration that leads to rage? Are we seeing signs of this already? Please share your stories.