Work Stress Seen As Epidemic In U.S. Firms

In a New York Times opinion piece about toxic work environments, law firms and a legal department are cited as prime examples, but the problem is said to be pervasive across the economy. Many workers at all levels are said to be functioning with a high degree of anxiety and stress, and with virtually no remaining margin by which they can adapt when some other aspect of their lives, like the illness of a family member, brings a serious demand. While for many companies the issue begins with “losing women,” the author maintains it doesn’t end there, and that it’s an epidemic that cuts across both class and gender lines. The problem  is a “culture of overwork,” she writes, and the solution lies in some concrete reforms, which she enumerates and says are at various stages of being considered or implemented and need to be encouraged.