Description of Organizational Problem for Eastlink

Description of Organizational Problem for Eastlink

Having more than 1,500 employees across Atlantic Canada, Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, Manitoba and British Columbia, Eastlink is the fifth largest cable television provider in Canada (2010).

After numerous employee surveys and management studies were conducted throughout 2010, it was decided by upper management that beginning in 2011 something had to be done to battle workplace stress which was thought to be contributing to an abnormally high level of sick days and employee turnover. In addition to these findings, the employee surveys pointed to employees at many different offices across Canada feeling low morale and also low levels of job satisfaction.

The severity of this problem was considered high by the upper management of Eastlink which is why they have hired us, an external consulting firm, to aid them in fixing their problem. Being one of the 50 best managed companies from 2007-2010, Eastlinks main concern is improving the well-being of their employees. A healthy lifestyle for employees will impact every part of their day-to-day work environment, with the wellness program having many additional positives including; fewer injuries, less human error, and a more harmonious office environment. As mentioned above, there have been measureable studies conducted which have pointed to high employee stress and low employee morale on the job. Additionally, many managers across different Eastlink offices have been reporting decreased productivity among their employees is also starting to arise and if it continues, could became a serious problem for Eastlink as a whole.

Thus far, little has been done by the management of Eastlink in terms of correcting a highly stressful workplace at their various offices. There have been encouragements by managers for employees to take their allotted morning, lunch, and afternoon breaks, ergonomic adjustments made to employee chairs and computer stations, as well as a few team building exercises aimed at increasing employee morale. All these attempts however, have failed in their attempt to decrease employee stress and employee turnover. It is now time for our consulting company to help Eastlink combat their employee stress, since it is stress which the United Nations has called the "20th Century Disease" [Natural HealthCare Canada, 2011].