A new opinion poll conducted by Ipsos MORI on behalf of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) has found that over half (51%) of European workers believe work-related stress is common in their workplace with 16% calling it “very common.”
Perceptions of work-related stress vary based on age, sex and sector, the poll found, with those in health or care work being the most likely to report cases of work-related stress (61% including 21% who say cases are ‘very common’). The opinion poll also found a common thread between workers who say work-related stress is common and those who say that work-related stress is not controlled well where they work.
“Forty-one percent of workers across Europe say that work-related stress is not handled well in their workplace, with 15% telling us it is handled ‘not at all well,’” EU-OSHA Director Christa Sedlatschek says. “We are very much focused on tackling psychosocial risks, such as stress, in the workplace. Next year we will launch our Healthy Workplaces Campaign on ‘Managing Stress.’ The message to be conveyed across European companies of different sizes and sectors is that psychosocial risks can be dealt with in the same logical and systematic way as other health and safety issues.”
Results from the poll also found that the most common cause of work-related stress across Europe is perceived to be job insecurity or job reorganization, particularly for those who lived in countries with a higher level of public debit.
Other workplace issues such as bullying or harassment, lack of support from colleagues and superiors and a lack of clarity in responsibilities were also perceived as common causes of work-related stress.
To read more findings from the poll, click here.