In a time when our country is struggling financially, employees who retain jobs are finding longer work days and more general job descriptions.

Everyone is being asked to fill an empty chair as needed. This leads to the necessity for people to wear multiple hats, possibly acting as janitors or managers right along with the mid-level jobs they were hired to do.

Most men I know consider work as their purpose in life. I also don’t know many men who will decline an available job if the pay will support their families. I do hear men complain though that even before the downturn in the economy and the loss of jobs across the country, bosses expected too much of them.

Change can be good in some circumstances. However, without training, the pressures of taking on extra responsibilities can lead to illness and even a sense of failure.

It is unfortunate when a man who has been on a successful employment track ends up feeling bad about himself because he’s been forced into a position where he can’t feel that he is in charge of his own career. That is when work becomes a power issue, and men generally do want to feel they have the power to learn a job or walk away.

There was a time in U.S. history when work was laid out, each action was understood, and each worker’s part was limited. A person learned the job, did it for some hours each day, then went home and forgot about it.

At some point efficiency experts began studies which convinced them that companies could benefit by training employees to do each other’s jobs. No one examined the workers’ psyches though to determine whether some people might be better than others at playing musical jobs.

With continued technological advancement, businesses decided that since every employee could do everyone else’s job then each employee could do multiple jobs. Writers became their own publishers, store managers stocked their own shelves, and business people became their own secretaries.

We understand now that multi-tasking, or trying to do several things at once, is an illusion. Men share concerns with me based on being tasked to cover several work positions. The stress behind their complaints seems focused on worries that they can’t do their jobs well. Men want to be efficient, but if a man loses a business contract because he was recording minutes of a meeting, he is likely to feel like a failure in both areas.

If you feel that your company is asking you to do the impossible, you have options. Speak to your supervisor. Take a personality test to find your best fit and go for it. Understand that someone may tell you that you have to multi-task, but you don’t. Do your job in steps when possible. Do one task and then change hats to do another. Look for ways to accomplish company expectations that allow you to feel successful. You’ll find contentment and satisfaction at work.

Ronda Bishop is a licensed mental health counselor and experienced parenting educator. She has worked as a counselor, teacher, and life coach for the past 15 years. Questions for Ronda can be e-mailed to letters@reporternewspapers.com or Mslrbishop@comcast.net.