Work Abuse: How to Recognize It and Survive It [Paperback]

Chauncey Hare (Author), Judith Wyatt (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0870471090 | ISBN-13: 978-0870471094 | Publication Date: April 1997

Millions of people hate their jobs. They may think the problem is stress or burn-out, but for most of these people, the true problem is an abusive work environment: one that disempowers people and destroys self-esteem. Work abuse is the dehumanizing of people through patterned ways of interacting at work. This includes systematic denial that the abuse is happening, as most abusive managers consider such poisonous treatment to be "the way the world works." Work abuse can affect a whole organization, or it can be focused on one individual scapegoat. What's worse, our society as a whole tends to reinforce this attitude, placing the blame on the traumatized victim. When the abuse cannot be redressed at work, it often reappears at home as addiction or family violence. Intended for individual workers and their families, therapists who help them, and managers and union leaders responsible for work systems, this book explains how and why work abuse happens and offers a practical plan for healing, including in-depth case studies, exercises, and worksheets to guide the reader.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Over the recent past, the concept of what constitutes abuse has broadened. No longer is it limited to the domestic setting, and no longer is it restricted to physical harm. Some of this change in thinking has not gone without controversy. Now Wyatt and Hare up the ante, and they are certain to stir opinion. The authors are organizational consultants and licensed psychotherapists who coined the term work abuse in 1988 in a report to the California state legislature's own oft-debated task force on self-esteem. They define work abuse as "the flagrant mistreatment or silent neglect of people." This abuse may take the form of neglect, chronic scapegoating, or denial of due process. The only solution to the problem of this abuse, Wyatt and Hare argue, is for democracy to be brought to the workplace and to eliminate authoritarian work organizations. The authors' equating of work abuse with child abuse, on-the-job sexual harassment, and discrimination will offend many. David Rouse --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Schenkman Books Inc. (April 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870471090
• ISBN-13: 978-0870471094
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,944,543 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #98 in Books > Business & Investing > Business Life > Health & Stress

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A survivor's reaction to "Work Abuse", January 3, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Sacramento, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Work Abuse: How to Recognize and Survive It (Hardcover)

Wyatt and Hare are doing for work abuse what Anita Hill did for sexual abuse. After suffering four years of chronic scapegoating and three years of subsequent post-traumatic stress disorder, "Work Abuse" finally afforded me the luxury of crying from relief. Though my professional career is over now, I can take deep comfort in knowing that what happened to me was very real and very much denied by everyone concerned. Americans are indeed being brutalized in the workforce; we blame ourselves. But this abuse can be recognized and dealt with, thereby sparing careers, lives, families, and even the abusive institutions and organizations that traumatize us. We owe much gratitude to Judith Wyatt and Chauncey Hare for their profound introduction to the dialogue on this issue of work abuse. Let the healing begin.

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential for Work Abuse Toolkit, November 23, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Work Abuse: How to Recognize It and Survive It (Paperback)

Work Abuse is the book those of us toiling in abusiveworkplaces havebeen looking for. In clear concise language, the book offers real and positive means to survive while working to reduce abuse in workplaces. It is an essential tool kit for Union leaders and others who have seen the devastation of work abuse. The solutions offered do not cause further harm to the individuals caught up in this situation. I have used the methods in the book and have provided it to many others. The universal response is delight at finally finding a way to survive and grow despite an abusive work situation. I recommend it highly.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Work Abuse Hidden better than spousal and/or child abuse, August 9, 2004

By 

Flora Newsom - See all my reviews

This review is from: Work Abuse: How to Recognize and Survive It (Hardcover)

I am reading, for the second time, WORK ABUSE - HOW TO RECOGNIZE AND SURVIVE IT by Judith Wyatt and Chauncey Hare. Work abuse is a very unpopular subject and is at least equally as widespread as is spousal abuse and/or child abuse. It is the best hidden of any abuse inflicted by one person upon another. Work abuse replicates child abuse in that the abused is scapegoated, trapped and alone without help from either inside or outside the system. Work stress is simply a euphemism for "work abuse," that hampers job quality and production as well as cripples, disables, and destroys the quality of life for millions every day and has been rampant in our society for many years.
Work abuse disempowers, dehumanizes and destroys self-esteem through systematic denial that the abuse is happening. More often than not, work abuse affects an entire organization. Society as a whole tends to reinforce work abuse and place the blame on the traumatized victims. Human resource offices (another euphemism for personnel offices) seem likely places for victims to find support. Human resource departments strictly protect the organization.
Millions of people enter the workplace every Monday saying, "is it Friday yet;" on Friday, millions more say, "thank God it's Friday." Others frequently sigh and struggle just to get inside the buildings and refer to their situations as "burn-out" and "work stress," when realistically for most of those people, the true problem is an abusive work environment.
This book explains how and why work abuse happens. It offers an understandable plan for healing, and includes in-depth case studies, exercises, and worksheets to guide the reader. This book is a must read for everyone who is now employed, has been employed, or ever plans to be employed.

Flora Stringer
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