Their work demonstrates that stress is killing us in discriminatory fashion. Stress is not an Equal Opportunity Employer; its long-term negative health effects target those on the bottom of the social ladder. There is a direct correlation between a person’s organizational hierarchical position and the level of stress-related degeneration of their neurological, pulmonary, and immune systems. Statistically speaking, the higher your position the longer your life.
One might assume that this has something to do with the privileges and resources that come with a higher wage, but controlled studies have shown this is likely not the case. Chronic stress within the workplace is measurably higher among those who see themselves as having the least amount of control over their situations. The more control one feels over their professional career, the lower their stress, and therefore the better their health and greater their potential for productivity in the workplace.
What does this mean for social justice and our "weighty responsibility [as managers] with respect to the development of those in our charge," as Professor George Byrtek puts it? The science presented in the documentary shows us that this cause-and-effect relationship can be changed; it is not set in stone, but set in human decision. Not only do we have the ability to redefine how we relate to our position in life as individuals, but as managers we have the ability to create a new culture within our organization that eliminates the detrimental and prejudicial effects of stress on our employees regardless of hierarchy.
Creating an organizational culture that values each individual and finds ways to empower them to succeed is not only good business, its good health insurance.
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