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Anger And Stress in Casinos
Casino employees are often vulnerable to a range of
physical and emotional problems. Employees who work
in casinos are expected to always treat customers
with respect, smiles and dignity. Shelly Field, who
counts "100 Best Careers in Casinos and Casino
Hotels" among the 20 books she has written, said the
24-hour go-go atmosphere found in casinos piles
stress on workers. "In the casino business you
always have to be `on,' and that adds to stress.
Having to smile and be customer-service oriented on
a constant basis becomes stressful in some
instances," said Field. The primary goal is to keep
customers in the casino happy in spite of their
attitude or behavior. Customers may often be
intoxicated or angry over gambling losses. Employees
are expected to tolerate rude and often insulting
behavior. This can lead to stress, depression,
hypertension, heart disease and anger. Since anger
is a secondary emotion it is almost always preceded
by frustration, stress or some other intense
emotion.
Unrecognized and/or untreated workplace stress and
anger can lead to an increase in sick day usage,
accidents, interpersonal conflicts and poor morale.
The resulting frustration experienced by the
employee can trigger an angry outburst or employee
burnout. According to an article published in
CasinoDealers.net. Stress is extremely problematic
among casino workers: 75% of casino workers
identified stress as a significant cause of job
dissatisfaction.50% of surveyed casino workers
reported “a lot” to moderate stress.15% of medical
claims among casino workers are reported to be
stress related. Medical providers report that stress
is a major contributor to most physical and mental
health problems. Substance abuse, excessive eating
and gambling are the principle occupational injuries
of white collar and customer service workers. Stress
indirectly costs employers $150 billion annually.
Unfortunately, 25% of all surveyed managers believe
that anger is an acceptable management strategy
oblivious to the cost to the company as well as to
employee morale. Stress is expensive emotionally,
physically and financially for both employees and
their employer.
Enlightened risk management and human resource
consultants are aware of the business and legal
exposure to organizations that ignore the need to
address workplace stress, interpersonal conflicts,
anger and person directed aggression. The average
cost to an organization to defend itself against
litigation charging workplace abuse, is $700,000.
The introduction of anger management courses which
include techniques for recognizing and managing
stress, managing anger, improving communication and
increasing empathy have been shown to effectively
address workplace stress and interpersonal
conflicts.
Research conducted at the University of South
Florida, demonstrated that when an anger management
program was introduced to students in one class, the
entire school benefited. Similarly, a twelve month
study conducted in one unit consisting of 16,000
employees in the U.S. Postal Service resulted in a
savings of 1.7 million dollars. There was an
increase in morale, increase in workplace
performance, and reduction of sick day usage, a
reduction in accidents and a dramatic decrease in
workplace conflicts.
In addition to offering anger management to
employees who exhibit problems managing stress,
communicating effective and demonstrating emotional
intelligence; anger management classes can be a cost
saving intervention relative to preventing workplace
conflict and improving employee morale.
A typical program can be implemented by providing
brochures, or pamphlets explaining what an anger
management class is and is not. Often, employees are
reluctant to attend any program which may imply
mental or emotional disturbance. Therefore, it is
essential that the course be explained in simply
language as a class designed to teach skills in
managing stress, anger and improving communication
and increasing empathy.
In order to address the stress and frustration often
found among casino workers a good anger management
program can provide the workers strategies to manage
their stress and anger. In addition the essential
components of a good anger management program should
include skills to improve communication and increase
empathy. This is not a program to deal with severe
emotional problems and therefore employees should
not experience any stigma associated with attending
such a class. These courses are generally taught in
small groups with approximately 20 employees with
separate groups for management and line staff so
that each can feel free to express themselves
openly. Management staff often benefit from
additional training on how to recognize signs of
employee stress or depression in their work units.
Conclusion
Casino workers experience a high degree of workplace
stress and anger based on the unique nature of their
work environment. Like doctors, firemen and law
enforcement officers, the stressful nature of the
work is not likely to change. Instead, it is the
employee who must be taught skills to manage his or
her stress in ways that increase rather than
decrease his job performance and team morale. The
introduction of anger management courses are a cost
saving intervention for business and industry.
George Anderson, MSW, LCSW, BCD
http://www.andersonservices.com
Diplomate, American Association of Anger Management
Providers
Fellow, American Orthopsychiatry Association
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