Exploring and Reducing Stress in Young Restaurant Workers: Results of a Randomized Field Trial

Abstract

PURPOSE: Young adult restaurant workers face the dual stressors of work adjustment and managing personal responsibilities. We assessed a new psychosocial/health promotion training designed to reduce these stressors in the context of restaurant work. DESIGN . A cluster-randomized trial of a training program, with surveys administered approximately 2 weeks before training and both 6 and 12 months after training. SETTING: A national restaurant chain. SUBJECTS: A total of 947 restaurant workers in 28 restaurants. MEASURES: Personal stress, exposure to problem coworkers, and personal and job characteristics. INTERVENTION: Team Resilience (TR) is an interactive program for stress management, teamwork, and work-life balance. TR focuses on "five Cs" of resilience: compassion, commitment, centering, community, and confidence. ANALYSIS . Mixed-model (multilevel) analysis of covariances. RESULTS: Compared with workers in control stores, workers in TR-trained stores showed significant reductions over time in exposure to problem coworkers (F[2, 80.60] = 4.48; p = .01) and in personal stress (F[2, 75.28] = 6.12; p = .003). CONCLUSION: The TR program may help young workers who face the challenges of emerging adulthood and work-life balance.