Customer Service - Politics Interfere with Worker Protections

From dealing with rigid management policies on monitoring and leave to working to resolve concerns for frustrated customers, service representatives face a stressful day, even before they begin to balance their work and family responsibilities.

Unfortunately, current federal government policies — and politics — are making these tough conditions worse.

"The political climate definitely has affected the business climate," said Nance Ballman, an executive officer of CWA Local 7201 and co-chair of the CWA-Qwest Minnesota safety and health committee.

When the OSHA ergonomic standard was tossed out in 2001, many employers began to ignore any requirements for ergonomic improvements, said CWA Safety and Health Director Dave LeGrande.

Ballman said that's meant more carpal tunnel syndrome and other health problems for operators and customer service representatives. Compounding the problem, she said, is that employers are stepping up pressure on all workers by trying to impose more mandatory overtime and productivity quotas.

A key part of CWA's health and safety program includes the negotiated joint committees set up to address service representative and operator issues, LeGrande said.

Many companies have been willing to work with CWA on job safety, but in the current political climate, "it's companies that seem to have the protection of the Department of Labor, not workers," Ballman said. "Worker safety and health shouldn't be a part of politics."

Politics continues to threaten the vital Family and Medical Leave Act, with companies and some lawmakers eager to weaken or get rid of it.

Since FMLA was adopted in 1992, more than 50 million Americans have been able to take up to 12 unpaid weeks to take care of their own or a family member's illness, or care for a new baby.

"Many workers are afraid to use FMLA when they need to, because employers have tried to penalize them for doing so or have tried to retroactively deny FMLA leave," Ballman said. "Reps don't take the leave they need and are entitled to and their stress level goes up."