Checkpoint 4. After having examined several of the leading causes for job stress, it is then necessary to understand a few of the consequences of experiencing such stress. Common experiences among blue collar workers, women and men alike, are: psychological distress, somatic complaints, depression, heavy/frequent alcohol consumption, silence, seclusion, and even a questioning of gender roles.

None of the above-mentioned problems help individuals to deal directly with solving their work-based stress issues. Insomnia, depression and seclusion tend to lead to isolation from others on the job who might be helpful. Although it can be argued that heavy alcohol will allow one a brief respite from work's pressures, keep in mind that such a remedy is only temporary. The next morning, when one wakes up, the problem will still be there, and will likely be accompanied by a hangover.

Even though there are many positive consequences for married couples when both parents work, this arrangement can sometimes add to the stress experienced on the job. In two-parent heterosexual families where the mother is a blue collar worker, men sometimes shoulder most of the responsibility of taking care of the child. Because of this role shift many men will at some point begin to question their "manhood" and possibly continue to feel as though they should be the sole "breadwinners" of their family (Sex Roles, March 1998). Researchers have shown that "despite role crossover," men still continued to feel that they had to be the primary income providers, and women still felt that the house, children and meal preparation was their first concern. In fact, each perceived that they mainly "stuck to" the traditional role assigned to them by the social expectation of their gender. "This was true even when the mother's income was essential for the family(same article)." It is not difficult to imagine that this leads to a complex and stressful home situation.