An everyday story of stress

Workers across Europe say work-related stress is all too common, a survey from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work found.

Around half of workers across Europe (51%) said that work-related stress is common in their workplace, with 16% saying it is “very common”, according to the survey. Female workers are more likely than male workers to say that work-related stress is common (54% against 49%), as are workers aged 18-54 compared with workers aged 55+ (53% against 44%).

The ways workers perceive work-related stress also vary by sector with those in health or care work being the most likely to say cases of work-related stress are common (61%) including 21% who say cases are “very common”.

The most common cause of work-related stress across Europe is said to be job insecurity or job reorganisation (72%) followed by hours worked or workload (66%). among younger workers aged 18-34, these two causes are ranked joint highest at 69%. Health or care workers are much more likely than average to select hours worked/workload (77%).

Unacceptable behaviour, such as bullying or harassment, is perceived as a common cause of work-related stress by six out of 10 workers (59%). A lack of support from colleagues or superiors was mentioned by 57%, while a lack of clarity on roles and responsibilities (52%) or limited opportunity to manage work patterns (46%) were also common causes of work-related stress.

Full results are at: https://osha.europa.eu/en/teaser/opinion-poll-2013