How to take toxins out of the office
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Long hours in the office? Try some emotional therapy.
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(CNN) -- Tighter deadlines, increased workloads, longer hours and job cuts -- no wonder emotions can run high in the office.
Some psychologists say that "emotional audits" may be the answer, allowing managers to combat negative vibes that can poison the workplace.
These are in-depth job satisfaction questionnaires, aimed at identifying problems and setting procedures in place to prevent them.
In the U.S., companies like South West Airlines and Cisco have conducted stress audits to investigate employees' emotions.
"The unemotional organization would be a dull place," occupational psychologist Dai Williams told CNN.
"However, when emotions get out of control they can become lethal. Finding a healthy balance to behavior at work is important."
But Williams says that anything termed "emotional" may not strike a chord with staff.
"This term will turn off 60 percent of the male adult population who take a more logical, less feeling view of the world of work. But the toxin metaphor is still very powerful," he adds.
According to Peter Frost, author of "Toxic Emotions At Work," emotional pain is inevitable in all organizations.
People bring it into the workplace because of incidents in their personal lives or in the community.
It can also be related to corporate upheavals, abrasive bosses and company policies that make unrealistic demands on employees.
"It becomes toxic when it strips a person of hope, damages their self-esteem or detrimentally affects their self-confidence," says Frost.
"Emotions tend to be contagious. Toxic ones leak out into the workplace affecting more than just the person afflicted. It can poison a team, a workplace, an organization."
Where toxic emotions are at work, psychologists have seen a quantitative rise in sick leave, absenteeism and grievances. Meanwhile effort and performance suffer.
On very rare occasions, people react in extreme and tragic ways.
In September three people were killed and 34 injured in an explosion after a man set an office area alight in the Japanese city of Nagoya in a dispute over back pay.
Frost says companies that carry out emotional audits tend to be successful businesses with quality staff.
He also stresses the importance of "toxin handlers" -- managers who see the problems their employees face and respond compassionately.
"They know how important it is to have emotionally healthy workers focusing on doing well."
