1,001 Facts That Will Scare the S#*t Out of You: The Ultimate Bathroom Reader (31 page)

“‘Death on the Job’ Report, 2008: The Toll of Neglect,” American Federation of Labor— Congress of Industrial Organizations,
www.aflcio.org
.

208

FACT :
An estimated
50,000 to 60,000 workers
die every year from occupation-related diseases.
Is not giving a shit considered an occupation-related disease? Because that affects a lot more than 60,000, I bet.

“‘Death on the Job’ Report, 2008: The Toll of Neglect,” American Federation of Labor—Congress of Industrial Organizations,
www.aflcio.org
.

209

FACT :
Work-related stress can be
as damaging to health
as cigarette smoking.
But if you handle that stress with a smoke break, they cancel each other out.

Natalie J. Jordet and Erica Lumiere, “Is Job Stress Making You Sick?,” Marie Claire,
www.marieclaire.com
.

210

FACT :
Workplace stress is a near epidemic in the United States, thanks largely to a struggling economy and corporate downsizing. A recent survey recorded
half of respondents feeling too much pressure
at work.
You want pressure? Try writing 1,001 jokes.

Natalie J. Jordet and Erica Lumiere, “Is Job Stress Making You Sick?,” Marie Claire,
www.marieclaire.com
.

211

FACT :
The chronic stress of a high-pressure job has been shown to
double the risk of a heart attack
.

Chronic stress may also result in alcoholism, hypertension, and severe depression, and can make your joints ache, your hair fall out, and even stop your period.
So that bald drunk lady at work who’s always crying and giving away her tampons? Give her a break; she’s under a lot of stress.

Natalie J. Jordet and Erica Lumiere, “Is Job Stress Making You Sick?,” Marie Claire,
www.marieclaire.com
.

212

FACT :
About
1.7 million workplace violence incidents
occur in the U.S. every year. 18,700 of them are committed by the victim’s intimate partner.
Don’t forget:

Friday is Bring Your Batterer To Work Day!

“Domestic Violence in the Workplace Statistics,” American Institute on Domestic Violence,
www.aidv-usa.com
.

213

FACT :
An estimated
1 million workers
are assaulted on the job every year in the United States.
I know at least nine people I’d like to add to that total.

Barbara Kate Repa, Your Rights in the Workplace, 8th ed. (Nolo, 2007).

214

FACT :
The U.S. Postal Service reported 500 cases of employees being violent toward supervisors in
a recent span of just eighteen months
, and an additional 200 cases of supervisors being violent toward employees in that same period.
Where do you think the term “going postal” came from?

Barbara Kate Repa, Your Rights in the Workplace, 8th ed. (Nolo, 2007).

215

FACT :
In August 1986, U.S. Postal Service worker Patrick Henry Sherrill—or “Crazy Pat,” as he was called—
shot and killed 14 coworkers
in the Edmond, Oklahoma post office where he was employed, including a supervisor who had criticized his work.
Hmm, I wonder why they called him “Crazy Pat.”

Jacob V. Lamar Jr., “‘Crazy Pat’s’ Revenge,” Time, June 24, 2001,
www.time.com
.