Workplace Improvement Proposal
Executive Summary
Employees working in various environments often like associating with organizations that mind their welfare on all areas. Sometimes it is not always a guarantee for that to happen and the consequences of that tend to become evident soon enough when strange behavior emanates from employees. They may include a reduction in their overall productivity, reduced morale, poor quality of work or even absenteeism and sometimes even suicide. This report aims to provide an analysis of a workplace improvement proposal in an organization that has employees committing suicide. Some of the key factors that cause suicide include substance abuse, hardships and life stressors, mental health problems, lack of a supportive environment, and an isolated workforce. That does not mean such issues go unchecked as the organization can opt to provide solutions that include raising awareness of the suicide risk factors among employees and the provision of training. Another option includes the provision of a vibrant guidance and counseling center and program.
Memo
To: Captain Christopher Rodriguez-Jackson
From: Naval Warfare Command Enlisted Association
Date: October 10, 2017
Subject: Workplace Improvement Proposal
Following a request I made to your office seeking the resources and permission to conduct a comprehensive study on the best way to go about a workplace improvement proposal, I have the pleasure of presenting to you the findings, conclusions, and recommendations. Specifically, my research team and I embarked on undertaking the responsibility of establishing factors that lead to suicide, suicide prevention factors, alternatives for suicide, and efficient methods to provide such critical information effectively. We collected data and did a thorough analysis of the various issues needed to come up with comprehensive findings.
The report herein contains the fulfillment of that objective where it has outlined the key factors that would be contributing to suicide cases at the naval base, the way to go about preventing the occurrence of suicide as well as the various alternatives to suicide. Also, the report has taken its time to provide concrete recommendations that will go towards implementing these solutions and the best way to communicate this information to the entire team at the naval base.
Once again thanks for the assistance you provided in the undertaking of this process including funds and human capital. I hope that in future, the organization will invest more towards such processes that seek to enhance the welfare of employees.
Thank you very much, I hope this report will be as informative, educative, and insightful in your decision-making process.
Table of Contents
Introduction 5
The Need for This Report 5
Factors that Lead to Suicide 6
Mental Health Problems 7
Substance Abuse 7
Hardships and Life Stressors 7
Lack of a Supportive Environment 8
Isolated Workforce 8
How to Prevent Suicide 8
Promote Awareness of the Suicide Risk Factors 9
The Provision of a Vibrant Guidance and Counselling Center 9
The Provision of Training 9
Implementing a Cultural Organizational Change 10
Suicide Alternatives 10
Conclusions/Recommendations 11
Recommendations 11
Methods of Conveying Information 12
References 13
Introduction
The workplace environment is something that most employees in their respective organizations like to see serving their interests. Employees spend a considerable and substantive amount of time interacting with colleagues, clients, and other stakeholders. At the naval base, service men and women spend their life engaging in the various activities and engagements whose main aim is making sure that the country is safe. For most of these hard-working men and women, the need to work in a conducive environment free of external or internal interferences to their well-being is something they look forward. However, in recent times, all does not seem well as for this year alone, 28 sailors have committed suicide. It is an issue of concern that this paper seeks to address. Specifically, this report has put in place factors that lead to suicide, suicide prevention factors, alternatives for suicide, recommendations and efficient methods to provide such critical information effectively. On top of the secondary research, data collected that came up with the findings emanated from two schools and organizations that specialize in suicide prevention methods. The report structure comprises of an executive summary, memo to the CEO, an introduction to the report, the need for the report, factors that lead to suicide, suicide prevention factors, alternatives for suicide, and conclusions/recommendations. Notably, the limitation of the report emanated from restricted timelines.
The Need for This Report
As earlier indicated, the welfare of employees reigns supreme in any organization and sailors pretty much define such a process. In a situation that sees around 28 suicides alone, it begs a lot of questions as to whether the workplace environment provides an appropriate and conducive working place for all employees. No single person should take away their life due to work-related issues. That also means all these sailors did not just decide to end their lives due to other problems beyond those of work. Some could have had problems away from work, but there is also the possibility that most of them it was due to work-related issues. Therefore some of the fundamental questions that may arise are whether these employees could have avoided the agony of taking their life and whether the naval base has an adequate mechanism to provide such an opportunity or environment. Based on the findings, gaps do exist that ensure an effective process for such service, but the good thing is that the organization has the requisite capacity to facilitate this process when implemented appropriately. That means the organization has the funds, the human capital, able and committed leadership to steer the process, and the environment to execute the solutions herein.
Factors that Lead to Suicide
At first, it is of the essence to point out that suicide is a problem not just in the naval base but other military organs as well. In fact, as shown in figure 1 below, 2012 data indicates that the navy had around 60 sailors taking their life, while the army had 182, the air force 59, and the marine 57. Therefore, this is a serious problem that needs an in-depth analysis on some of the key things contributing to this state of affairs and how to solve the problem. The following factors are some of the key issues contributing to suicide.
Figure 1
(“Chart Showing Suicides in the Military,” DOD, 2012)
Mental Health Problems
Mental health problems emerged as one of the leading causes of suicide at the workplace. These are issues that interfere with the normal working state of mind such as anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression. Some of the main contributors to this state of affairs include problems at home, the pressure to deliver on their work mandate, self-esteem issues, and previous workplace experiences that proved stressful among others. In fact, I had the pleasure of speaking with a few sailors about this issue aside from the data collected for this purpose, and they corroborated these issues (Felix & James, 2017). One of them went to the extent of telling me that a colleague had contemplated quitting after expressing suicidal thoughts due to the demand of the work.
Substance Abuse
Substance abuse was another thing linked to the suicide rate arising from employees engaging in the use of substances (Chehil & Kutcher, 2012). The main substance use recorded for most of these cases involved the abuse of alcohol. Quite a big number of sailors were found to be imbibing alcohol levels beyond the required or responsible amount. The interesting thing that emerges in this respect is the fact that the persons abusing alcohol did so due to stressful factors identified earlier on such that they found solace in the bottle.
Hardships and Life Stressors
It emerged that hardship and stressful factors were the other major contributors of suicide. Here, most participants quoted work-related issues critical to their current lives that saw them develop stress and hardships. Some of them included poor work performance, co-worker issues or work-related hazing. The stressors identified included relationship loss, disciplinary problems, legal concerns, and demotions among others (Cox et al., 2011). Admittedly, these are key issues whose impact can be quite devastating with the lack of a supportive environment.
Lack of a Supportive Environment
In the personal interview I conducted with the two sailors, something that also came out was the fact that the naval base did not have an adequate support system providing counseling and guidance for the employees feeling too much pressure in their jobs (Felix & James, 2017). They complained that the systems in this aspect had proved unreliable due to lack of enough and committed staff to provide this guidance as well as materials necessary to facilitate this process.
Isolated Workforce
Social isolation also came out as a significant factor leading to suicide. The issue herein stems from a few perspectives with one of them being the fact that some people felt due to their social and ethnic background, there was a significant level of isolation that saw them not accorded the same treatment as other persons. Another related issue was the fact that some felt due to their minority and color stature, they did not feel or even think as if they belonged in the whole social environment defining the workplace (Rimkeviciene, O’Gorman & De, 2015). Still, there was also the feeling that the general work environment did not provide the much-needed social comfort and sense of unity and togetherness the sailor needed.
How to Prevent Suicide
Towards that end, the reasons above paint an unfortunate picture that an organization of such stature should be able to address adequately and satisfactorily so that these incidences become a thing of the past. The following solutions would serve that purpose.
Promote Awareness of the Suicide Risk Factors
One of the best and effective ways of preventing cases of suicide is the aspect of raising awareness and knowledge of the risk factors among employees (Cramer & Akpinar-Elci, 2016). Sometimes a person exhibiting suicidal thoughts may be right next to a colleague and being able to spot key signs such as substance abuse, sudden change of behavior (isolation and wanting to be alone), and stressful thoughts can help prevent them from committing suicide.
The Provision of a Vibrant Guidance and Counselling Center
As earlier indicated, some employees express the unavailability of an adequate support system that helps employees expressing mental problems or other psychological needs necessary to overcome their problems or issues. Such an opportunity ought to be there and easily accessible at that. It can help change the minds of persons expressing suicidal thoughts (O’Connor & Pirkis, 2016).
The Provision of Training
The aspect of training as illustrated in Figure 2 is also essential in this process of preventing suicide, and the best way to do that is to provide the employees and the management on how to handle their colleagues expressing thoughts of committing suicide (O’Connor & Pirkis, 2016). Such training should also focus on the appropriate intervention measures and strategies as well get educated on how to deal with mental challenges and stressful situations.
Figure 2
(Google Images, 2017)
Implementing a Cultural Organizational Change
The need to provide a better work environment is one of the things that should be in the plans of any organization. It entails a change of processes and cultivating a sense of teamwork, unity, and togetherness among employees so that they can appreciate and support each other emotionally and psychologically as illustrated in Figure 3. It also includes cultivating a sense of diversity and inclusivity such that no single employee gets to feel they are discriminated against or even isolated (O’Connor & Pirkis, 2016). With such mechanisms in place, the workplace tends to have a socially accommodative environment that makes employees feel appreciated, valued, and respected for their contribution to the goals and objectives of the organization.
Figure 3
(Google Images, 2017)
Suicide Alternatives
For any environment seeking to reduce the rate of employees, the only best alternative is all about choosing life and the challenges it brings in the everyday livelihood of people. Before someone chooses to take their own life, the need for speaking up and reaching out can help them overcome any such attempts. As Figure 4 illustrates, suicide is 100% preventable when people speak up on what seems difficult in their lives, and they need solutions. Options are pretty much available when their workplaces lack the platform of providing such avenues with organizations such as American Association of Suicidology (AAS) or American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) serving that purpose. The Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program is also useful for this process as well as services provided by Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
(“Talking About Suicide,” Google Images, 2017)
Conclusions/Recommendations
It is pretty much evident that workplace improvement in an environment facing cases of suicides requires an appropriate intervention process. Some of the key reasons that make such persons commit suicide include mental health problems, substance abuse, hardships and life stressors, lack of a supportive environment, and isolated workforce. Nonetheless, the solutions for these issues emanates from raising awareness of the suicide risk factors among employees and the provision of a vibrant guidance and counseling center and program. Another option includes the provision of training.
Recommendations
- The organization should embark on the full-scale restructuring of its support systems to accommodate a vibrant and adequate guidance and counseling center and program.
- The organization should also embark on the training of its employees on the core intervention measures at the employee and management level.
- The roll-out of a knowledge awareness campaign of the risk factors should start immediately and see it administered by competent staff.
- The organizations should conduct a review of workplace policies to accommodate a change in organizational culture that seeks to embrace diversity, inclusivity, and teamwork.
- It is also important for the organization to conduct a profile analysis of its employees through the use of big data as well as analytics in an effort of trying to identify patterns of work problems, dissatisfaction, and discipline issues. After that, intervention measures can take place to help such employees.Methods of Conveying Information
Once these deliberations take effect, the need to communicate the expected changes is another significant process. The best available options include organizing an employee meeting with the management to convey the expected changes since it affects all of them. The employees will then gain access to the detailed implementation strategy as well as the comprehensive program that point out the role of each and the benefits thereof. For those having difficulties understanding the contents, experts selected for this process will be there to provide guidance.References
Chehil, S., & Kutcher, S. P. (2012). Suicide risk management: A manual for health professionals. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell.
Cox, D. W., Ghahramanlou-Holloway, M., Greene, F. N., Bakalar, J. L., Schendel, C. L., Nademin, M. E., Jobes, D. A., & Kindt, M. (2011, January 01). Suicide in the United States Air Force: Risk factors communicated before and at death. Journal of Affective Disorders, 133, 3, 398-405.
Cramer, R. J., & Akpinar-Elci, M. (2016, January 01). Unclear suicide prevention effects, insufficient large-scale testing of suicide prevention programs. The Journal of Adolescent Health, 59, 1.
Department of Defense (DOD). (2012). US military suicides. Retrieved 10 October, 2017 from https://www.defense.gov/
Felix, C. & James, D. (2017). Personal Interview.
O’Connor, R., & In Pirkis, J. (2016). The international handbook of suicide prevention. Chichester, West Sussex, UK; Hoboken: Wiley, Blackwell.
Rimkeviciene, J., O’Gorman, J., & De, L. D. (2015, January 01). Impulsive suicide attempts: A systematic literature review of definitions, characteristics and risk factors. Journal of Affective Disorders, 171, 93-104.