Work activity and health symptoms of bank tellers whose work was undergoing reorganization were examined during a university–union study of the health effects of work in women's traditional jobs. Data were gathered through collective and individual interviews, analysis of work activity, and a questionnaire administered to 305 tellers. Employees worked in a standing posture over 80 percent of the time. More than two-thirds frequently suffered pain in back, legs, and feet. The average teller had been involved in 3.7 robberies as a direct victim and six as a witness. Work required feats of memory and concentration. In order to meet job demands, tellers engaged in supportive activities and teamwork. The introduction of individualized objectives threatened the employees' ability to collaborate and induced distress. More than twice as many tellers as other female workers in Québec experience psychological distress (Ilfeld scale), related to: robbery during the past two years (odds ratio = 1.7; confidence interval = 1.0–2.9); difficult relations with superiors (O.R. = 2.6; C.I. = 1.3–5.3); and full-time work (O.R. = 2.3; C.I. = 1.3–3.9). Diverse methods enriched the analysis, and union participation allowed the proposal of concrete correction measures.
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