Most every shelter manager is forced to deal with the consequences of a high rate of employee burnout, and that's reason enough to worry about staff stress. But most managers are also genuinely concerned about the well-being and happiness of their workers. So what can managers do to limit the damage that workplace stress inflicts on employees? The first step toward lowering stress in the workplace is to create a safe environment where workers feel free to talk about their frustrations. Dispel the popular misconception that those who cannot cope with the stress aren't cut out for the work or do not care about animals enough to rise above the stress. And don't let workers buy into the idea that people who can't cope simply "care too much" and let their love of animals get in the way of doing the job. As a manager, it's your job to fight these perceptions and eliminate the idea that it's best to bottle up emotions. In fact, managers should aim to convince people that the bigger problems lie with workers who refuse to admit when they're in over their heads. While managers should do everything in their power to ensure the privacy of anyone who asks for help, they should also discourage the thought that issues of workplace stress are taboo. "Let it be known that it's honorable to acknowledge one's own limitations," says Jan Elster, a private consultant who's worked with shelters on customer-service delivery and other issues for 15 years. "Often when there are problems, it's because managers are out of the loop or out of touch, because the managers have pulled themselves away from the mechanics of the working environment because of their own stress." But if supervisors stay involved in the day-to-day issues and maintain a positive approach to handling difficulties, that support can make all the difference. How can managers and, in fact, all workers, determine if someone needs help? According to Steve Fox, former director of human resources for the Peninsula Humane Society in California, people suffering the results of stress often adopt a cynical view of coworkers and the public, and may be quick to anger or prone to drastic behavior. "I've seen people who don't quite stop caring, but stop looking for reasons to save animals," says Fox. "For instance, the person who thinks, 'I work at an animal shelter and when you come in to adopt an animal, you have to prove to me that you're going to be a good owner; I've seen it all, and nobody can be as good an owner as I am,' rather than, 'Come in. You've never had a pet before? Well, let me tell you how to take care of him properly. . . .' " Rather than becoming bitter or distrustful, some shelter workers go to the opposite extreme, looking for ways to save every animal possible, even if it involves hiding information about an animal's illness or behavior problems or meeting potential adopters in the parking lot to sidestep the adoption process. Regardless of the extremes to which shelter workers find themselves drawn, managers need to take these employees aside and ask them to discuss their feelings about the shelter's work; remind them that the shelter's policies and practices are in place to provide the most comfortable lifelong homes for as many animals as possible; and ask for their help in carrying out that mission. At the same time, it's important to show employees that you support them during their struggle; you might offer a worker a short hiatus or even a different position within the organization, if appropriate. In fact, since employees in the private sector have begun suffering the ill effects of stress to a greater degree, many employers have begun offering "mental health days," similar to sick days, but limited to those who feel that the stress of the workplace is taking its toll. Shelter managers can even recruit a therapist and invite him to spend time learning about the culture of the organization, and encourage employees to meet and discuss issues with the therapist. (A manager may wish to be present during the sessions to show support, or may choose not to attend so that workers won't feel stifled under the watchful eyes of a supervisor.) Of course, prevention is even more effective than intervention, and ideally managers will work to address situations before they turn into crises. To that end, you'll want to continuously ask your staff if there are steps that you can take to solve the problems they encounter individually or as part of the organization. Gordon Willard, executive director of the Animal Protective Foundation of Schenectady in Scotia, New York, has taken steps to help his employees recover from difficult episodes by attending a "critical incident" stress management course originally designed to help police, fire, and emergency squad personnel cope with the aftermath of tragedies such as bus accidents and plane crashes. Now the shelter is working with other shelters in the community to assemble its own critical-incident team to help workers discuss the aftermath of collector cases and investigations of neglect and abuse. "We started thinking about how these people must feel, especially when the stories are getting bounced around in the media," says Willard. "We've learned that people can't easily deal with these things, can't just walk away from them. They may start questioning themselves and their objectives, so we need to help them solve the stress issues they face." | 
