Tag: #JobSatisfaction #HRarticles #EDUperk

Suicide effects

Suicide affects all people. Within the past year, about 41,000 individuals died by suicide, 1.3 million adults have attempted suicide, 2.7 million adults have had a plan to attempt suicide and 9.3 million adults have had suicidal thoughts. 

Unfortunately, our society often paints suicide the way they would a prison sentence—a permanent situation that brands an individual. However, suicidal ideation is not a brand or a label, it is a sign that an individual is suffering deeply and must seek treatment. And it is falsehoods like these that can prevent people from getting the help they need to get better.

Debunking the common myths associated with suicide can help society realize the importance of helping others seek treatment and show individuals the importance of addressing their mental health challenges. 

Myth: Suicide only affects individuals with a mental health condition.

Fact: Many individuals with mental illness are not affected by suicidal thoughts and not all people who attempt or die by suicide have mental illness. Relationship problems and other life stressors such as criminal/legal matters, persecution, eviction/loss of home, death of a loved one, a devastating or debilitating illness, trauma, sexual abuse, rejection, and recent or impending crises are also associated with suicidal thoughts and attempts.

Myth: Once an individual is suicidal, he or she will always remain suicidal.

Fact: Active suicidal ideation is often short-term and situation-specific. Studies have shown that approximately 54% of individuals who have died by suicide did not have a diagnosable mental health disorder. And for those with mental illness, the proper treatment can help to reduce symptoms. 

The act of suicide is often an attempt to control deep, painful emotions and thoughts an individual is experiencing. Once these thoughts dissipate, so will the suicidal ideation. While suicidal thoughts can return, they are not permanent. An individual with suicidal thoughts and attempts can live a long, successful life. 

Myth: Most suicides happen suddenly without warning.

Fact: Warning signs—verbally or behaviorally—precede most suicides. Therefore, it’s important to learn and understand the warnings signs associated with suicide. Many individuals who are suicidal may only show warning signs to those closest to them. These loved ones may not recognize what’s going on, which is how it may seem like the suicide was sudden or without warning.

Myth: People who die by suicide are selfish and take the easy way out.

Fact: Typically, people do not die by suicide because they do not want to live—people die by suicide because they want to end their suffering. These individuals are suffering so deeply that they feel helpless and hopeless. Individuals who experience suicidal ideations do not do so by choice. They are not simply, “thinking of themselves,” but rather they are going through a very serious mental health symptom due to either mental illness or a difficult life situation.   

Myth: Talking about suicide will lead to and encourage suicide.

Fact: There is a widespread stigma associated with suicide and as a result, many people are afraid to speak about it. Talking about suicide not only reduces the stigma, but also allows individuals to seek help, rethink their opinions and share their story with others. We all need to talk more about suicide. 

Debunking these common myths about suicide can hopefully allow individuals to look at suicide from a different angle—one of understanding and compassion for an individual who is internally struggling. Maybe they are struggling with a mental illness or maybe they are under extreme pressure and do not have healthy coping skills or a strong support system. 

As a society, we should not be afraid to speak up about suicide, to speak up about mental illness or to seek out treatment for an individual who is in need. Eliminating the stigma starts by understanding why suicide occurs and advocating for mental health awareness within our communities. There are suicide hotlines, mental health support groups, online community resources and many mental health professionals who can help any individual who is struggling with unhealthy thoughts and emotions. 

Job Satisfaction

“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.”

– Aristotle

Job Satisfaction may be defined as the feeling of satisfaction or attitude that an employee has about the job that he or she is performing. It is not a self- satisfaction, happiness but the satisfaction on the job. Job Satisfaction relates to the total relationship between an individual and the employer for which he is paid. There is direct relationship between employee’s job performance and the satisfaction that he or she derives from doing the job. Many research studies have clearly shown that employees who are satisfied have a better attitude towards their jobs and his productivity is significantly higher than less satisfied employees. Hence, it is important that the employees feel a sense of satisfaction with their job or else it might lead to frustration, anger and in some cases depression. Job Satisfaction is also an achievement indicator in career development task. When an employee is satisfied, he or she cares more about the quality of work, they become more commited and loyal towards the work and the organisation, the employee retention rate increases and the employees become more productive which helps in achieving goals of the organisation. A satisfied employee generally have a positive attitude towards his job and company. He or she is proactive, they have a higher level of motivation and they tend to take initiative, they are willing to take more responsibility and establishes better relationship with their colleagues, fellow employees, superiors and subordinates. A satisfied employee shows a positive energy all the time. As we know satisfied employees will stay with the organisation or company for a long-period of time and so for this the organisation must concentrate on removing dissatisfied employees from the workplace inorder to reduce negative energy. Empower the satisfied employees so that they helps in achieving both their own needs and those of the organisation. Job Satisfaction is an attitude that employees have regarding their work and the organisation and it is based on numerous factors which includes both intrinsic and extrinsic to the individual. Job Satisfaction also plays an important role in maintaining and retaining the appropriate employees within the organisation as the company has already invested a lot of money on them. It is a complex and multifaceted concept as a wide range of factors affects the level of job satisfaction. They are individual, social, cultural, organisational and environmental factors. Job Satisfaction is usually linked with motivation as it motivates them to work hard and give their best. Job Satisfaction can be measured in cognitive (evaluative), effective (or emotional) and behavioral components. Job Satisfaction helps in knowing whether employee is satisfied and it is one key metric that can help in determine the overall health of an organisation, that is why many organisations employ regular surveys to measure employee satisfaction and track satisfaction trends over time. A high satisfaction level indicates that employees are happy with how their employers treat them. Job Satisfaction plays a crucial role both for the company and for the employees for many reasons including the following:-

  • Increases Productivity – Job Satisfaction is highly correlated to productivity. If a person is satisfied with his job he will be more productive. A happy and satisfied employees generally work smarter and harder to achieve company goals.
  • Protects Physical Well-Being- Job Satisfaction is directly proportional to physical health and well-being of the employees. An employee who is healthy will adjust himself well in the organisation and to the work and hence tends to contribute more towards the organisation.
  • Decreases Employee Turnover and Absenteeism- A company where there is high employee turnover shows that the organisation provides less satisfaction to its employees and this is the major disorders of company. A high job satisfaction level significantly reduces voluntary separation of employees and thus company is able to retain its talented employees. A higher satisfaction level also has a positive effect on the attendance of the employees. It helps in reducing the rate of absenteeism in the organisation.

So lastly, job satisfaction is really very important for the prestige and goodwill of the organisation.