Giving Notice

CNN.com ran an article on a 37 year old woman who suffered a heart attack.

After a good, hard look at her lifestyle, Smith contends that her stressful job as a forensic psychologist was the cause of the attack. The CNN reporter brought in experts to discuss the case. Working With You is Killing Me: Freeing Yourself From Emotional Traps is a recent book that addresses the issue of work related stress. While the author’s advice is sound (detach, depersonalize work stress) we at Level Playing Field Institute also believe that a harder look at the inside of an organization was probably overdue. What drove Smith to take on too much work, too much responsibility and accept extreme levels of stress?

What drives you? Are you willing to change?

The New York Times recently ran an article on workplace romance. The news is this: although there is a trend toward acceptance, workplace relationships should be approached cautiously. While I found it heartening to read that the Internet’s dating sites have not proven to be the fertile ground for lasting matches as their proprietors had hoped (interviewees for the article expressed a need to get to know each other better before becoming romantically involved), work might not always be the perfect place to pick your partner. “Before you rush ahead, think about how it’s going to feel to sit in this weekly staff meeting with somebody who you had a miserable breakup…” advised Freada Kapor Klein, founder of Level Playing Field Institute, and co-author of this blog.

What are your workplace romance experiences? Can you be open about dating a co-worker?