Stress Relief for Transportation Employees.

JOB stress; EMPLOYEES; TRANSPORTATION; WORK & psychology; COUNSELING; SOCIAL isolation; PSYCHOLOGICAL stress

The article focuses on how to help transportation workers cope with job stress. The most visible employee in the transport community is the bus driver. He or she symbolizes the entire service and is, as a result, the target of abuse and praise. The stress within a large service organization is intensified by issues such as conflict among differential age groups, sexism, favoritism, high community unemployment, and the current pressure for expanding public transportation. To help transportation workers cope with job stress, the author began a series of group counseling sessions. Most participants indicated that being in the group helped them feel better about themselves because they realized that they were not the only ones with these problems. The group offered support and validation and also provided methods for reducing or coping with stress more effectively. This sharing of information helped individuals feel less isolated. The climate of sharing and problem solving was developed during the initial group sessions via exercises that encouraged discussions of personal concerns.