STAR-WARS AND STRATEGIC DEFENSE INITIATIVES - WORK ACTIVITY AND HEALTH SYMPTOMS OF UNIONIZED BANK TELLERS DURING WORK REORGANIZATION

Work activity and health symptoms of bank tellers whose work was under going reorganization were examined during a university-union study of the health effects of work in women's traditional jobs. Data were gath ered through collective and individual interviews, analysis of work ac tivity, and a questionnaire administered to 305 tellers. Employees wor ked in a standing posture over 80 percent of the time. More than two-t hirds frequently suffered pain in back, legs, and feet. The average te ller had been involved in 3.7 robberies as a direct victim and six as a witness. Work required feats of memory and concentration. In order t o meet job demands, tellers engaged in supportive activities and teamw ork. The introduction of individualized objectives threatened the empl oyees' ability to collaborate and induced distress. More than twice as many tellers as other female workers in Quebec experience psychologic al distress (Ilfeld scale), related to: robbery during the past two ye ars (odds ratio = 1.7; confidence interval = 1.0-2.9); difficult relat ions with superiors (O.R. = 2.6; C.I. = 1.3-5.3); and full-time work ( O.R. = 2.3; C.I. = 1.3-3.9). Diverse methods enriched the analysis, an d union participation allowed the proposal of concrete correction meas ures.