Abstract

Psychological distress is a problem that has become increasingly concerning for business managers, and for good reason. The ever-growing number of employees with psychological health problems means major costs for the company: absenteeism, turnover rate, reduced productivity (Sroujian, 2003; Stephens & Joubert, 2001). For the past few years, researchers have mainly focused on the personal variables of psychological distress (stress management, time management, and work-family balance) (Michie, & Williams, 2003). Although these variables are important, they do not prevent or fully explain the phenomenon of psychological stress in the work place. The purpose of this article is to present variables that, to date, have been rarely studied in relation with psychological distress. Recently, certain researchers have looked at the impact that management style has on the psychological health of employees (Gilbreath & Benson, 2004; Tepper, 2000). In a world where strong presence, charisma and performance are among the skills most sought after when hiring employees and managers, companies have opened their doors to problematic personalities, which may devastate a company by increasing the level of employees’ psychological distress. Ideas for concrete solutions will be presented so that managers can reduce and prevent risks of psychological distress in the workplace.