Stress in BPO jobs: Deadlier than ever

Jobs in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry undoubtedly involve high levels of stress in the form of tight target deadlines, monotonous nature of job and night shifts. But would stress push a person into the jaws of death?

When a call centre employee died last week at his office collapsing on the floor at Thiruvanmiyur, it evoked a deep sense of fear and anguish among other employees leaving them wonder whether stress could actually cause death.

Dr Sunil Shankar, behavioural psychiatrist commenting on the matter says that chances of death due to continuous high stress levels could not be completely ruled out.

'Stress by itself is not dangerous. When it goes unattended and unmanaged it could well result in death'.

He adds 'stress is a killer, it sometimes has no warning signs outwardly but remains within a person inducing suicidal implications in him and shortens his life span'.

The primary source of stress has got to do a lot with one's profession and work atmosphere.

Especially in places like call centres where youth spend most of their time on the phone and in front of computers having to convince people in far away lands, it would be pretty tough, Dr Sunil says.

The unenviable task of having to handle constant pressure from higher-ups to keep call volumes up and when are left with no time to 'recover from an awkward call or from 'customer rejection' it really proves painful, many employees in top notch BPO companies said.

Some of the call centre employees also spoke on the phenomenon of getting 'burnout.' It is caused by the pressure of working exclusively 'on the phones' without an eye to eye contact.

Shanthi, a customer support officer said 'It's almost like an army. It's very regimented. You punch in with a time clock. You come in, sit down, and the numbers are all computerised. As soon as you finish a call, the minute you hang up another call comes.

Another call centre employee Pooja said the challenge was big in BPO and added that there were different kinds of rigid targets to be met.

'It depends on where one is in. 'Outbound calls are more difficult as they have targets for call duration, wrap time, and the call volume is more. Added to this are the sales or completion targets, which are closely monitored and upon which our pay may are partially based,' Pooja said.

On a solution, the behavioural psychiatrist said, there was no effective mechanism to 'completely curb stress.' An individual needs to understand that certain work place pressures like targets are a daily thing and having to work at unearthly hours are an occupational hazard and should learn to live with it. When it becomes unmanageable medical help could be sought and it is absolutely possible to put things straight, he says.

The heads of BPOs should do more to help their employees fight and manage stress.

'HR Professionals with knowledge and training in human psychology could be an asset in these new work places of the globalised world', the psychiatrist said.