82 Gender Matters throat, hoarseness, clearing of throat, cracking of voice, choking, burning sensation, loss of voice, cough, cold, etc.). They added other health problems such as eye strain due to lighting situation and uninterrupted use of computers for long hours (computer vision syndrome), hearing problems, neck/shoulder/back/wrist problems (varied musculoskeletal symptoms due to physical arrangements within the limited 1½ x 1½ meter cubicle), and mental and psychological stress. Another concern raised by call center workers is the “preponderance of abusive and irritating customers” (Pico 2006), which aggravates the already stressful environment. These workers are required to be civil with their customers, many of whom tend to be abusive or even hysterical (Ng in Pico 2006). Research have also shown that the nature of work organization in call centers tend to constrain skill development. The very purpose of establishing a call center is to create an environment where work can be standardized to create relatively uniform and repetitious activities so as to achieve economies of scale and consistent quality customer service (Belt et al. in Pico 2006). Belt at al.’s (2002) findings indicate overwhelmingly that the nature of work organization used in call centers acts to constrain skill development, due primarily to the predominance of uniform tasks. Bool and Sale (2010) cited reports that in call centers and BPOs, employers communicated with staff chiefly via team meetings, e-mail, bulletin board, intranet, and internal paper mail or different combinations thereof. This type of communication is primarily designed to inform, not to consult. The mere giving of information, which is initiated and managed from top down, typifies participation that is low on empowerment and narrow in scope (Grindle and Cohen et al. in Bool & Sale 2010). Pico (2006) also asserted that working at night and sleeping at day time would normally lessen their opportunities for social interaction and be more limited to the social environment in the call center which is mainly composed of co-workers who may follow the same routines. The combination of night-time work and constant schedule change takes its toll on agents’ health, social and family life. Manegdeg (2007) also found that 57 out of 100 respondents from