There was a health concern now rising among call center population in the industry. Although there was no thorough study on the short and long term impact of being a call center agent, there was an increasing rise on health and psychological problems amongst the call center population according to a recent industry survey.
The question now is whether the high paying job is commensurate to the hazards it poses to the call center agent.
The call center job in the Philippines is offering hefty salary and benefits to those willing Pinoys who take the night shift job. However, recent rise in health problems and concerns suggests that it’s taking its toll on the call center agent’s health both physically and mentally. Ronnie P., 26 year old single male, is a typical customer care call center agent. He is already self supporting and is paying for his own pad from his own salary. He has been getting a lot of attention from his superiors because of his excellent performance which also pays him more than his contemporaries.
However, Ronnie is experiencing some radical changes in his body. And he will tell you that it was doing him no good. His weight had grown to 120 kilograms, or about 264 pounds, and he was missing out on social life as he worked long overnight hours at a call center. Now, he is thinking of quiting the call center job to the dismay of his boss when he discussed this in one of their huddles.
“You are making nice money. But the trade-off is also big,” said Ronnie, who now spent nearly three years at a well known call center company in Manila, answering customer calls from the United States.
Call centers and other outsourced businesses like software writing, medical transcription and back-office work employ more than half a million young men and women in the Philippines, mostly in their 20s and 30s, who make much more than their contemporaries in most other professions. The estimate will grow fast in the next 2 years.
They are, however, facing sleep disorders, heart disease, depression and family discord, according to doctors and several industry surveys. Experts agree that the brewing crisis could undermine the success of Philippine’s hugely profitable outsourcing industry, which earns billions in dollars annually and has shaped much of the country’s transformation into an emerging economic power.
Heart diseases, high blood pressures, strokes and diabetes are among the many illnesses that call center agents face in their career. The lack of sleep has many ill effects to the human body and sooner or later, it will catch up to those who inadvertently abuse their bodies for money, according to some doctors we interviewed for this purpose.
Reliable estimates on the number of people affected are hard to come by since there is no serious effort yet to look deeply into this looming problem that can take its toll on the national health insurance system in the future. Despite this, government officials and experts agree that it is a growing problem.
“After working, they party for the rest of the time,” and industry spokesperson said at a public meeting last month. They “have bad diet, excessive smoking and drinking. We don’t want these young people to burn out.”
The BPO industry, more particularly the call center sector has come under fire because the sedentary lifestyle of its employees combined with often stressful working conditions make employees more vulnerable to heart disease, digestive problems and weight gain than others. Some complain of psychological distress.
Most call center jobs involve responding to phone calls through the night from customers in the United States and Europe – some of whom can be angry and rude.
It is monotonous and there is little meaningful personal interaction among co-workers. That can also be true of other jobs like software writing and back-office work.
“There are times when the stress is so overwhelming that the agents will fail to cope up with it leading to various problems such us being irritable and restless.” according to Dr. Jose De Vera, psychiatrist.
The complaints are varied, but marital incompatibility and relationship issues top the list, Dr. De Vera added. This often because the long, odd working hours which means that couples do not have much time to be intimate together.
More women than men ask for help, he said. The outsourcing boom has created new employment opportunities for Filipina women, but there has been little change in social and family expectations. Adding workplace pressures and stress to an already overwhelming responsibilities at home, which often includes taking care of kids and in-laws, leaves women workers with multiple stresses.
For those single women, loneliness can also take a toll. “There is no social life,” said Linda, who worked at night and either slept or watched television during the day. “You are not meeting new people.”
The main trade body of the outsourcing industry, said many of its member. Some companies have recognized this phenomenon already and are taking the right steps to alleviate the call center agents problems. Call center firms were already providing advice on health, gyms and money for regular checkups
Some have set up 24-hour help lines for counseling by psychologists, while others have connected with health clubs and counseling companies. Some even built day care centers for children and routinely sponsor group outings by their employees.
But will this be enough to work? We believe there should be more focused attention on this threatening problem rather than to resolve issues on a piecemeal basis. Companies should contribute to the study of the lingering effects of call center work to their agents and set aside funding to find solutions to those findings.
You, what do you think?
Do you believe that there is a health hazard to the call center agent job? If yes, what do you think the industry, the government and the call center agents do to solve this problem?
Source: Pinoy Call Center Jobs Blog
========================
Visit us: http://www.agentsentral.com
Email us: info@agentsentral.com
No comments:
Post a Comment