Professional insecurity, long hours, overly authoritarian bosses. So many sources of stress at work which would increase the risk of health problems, according to researchers at Harvard University.
To reach these conclusions, the team of researchers analyzed data collected from 228 studies already carried out on stress in the workplace. They observed in particular how stressors could negatively impact health. Among the factors analyzed: if an individual is at unemployment or not, if his hours are long and if there is a conflict between his professional and personal life. They also considered subjective fairness in the workplace, the control employees have over their own work, and whether health insurance was offered to employees.
Then, they analyzed the impact of these stress factors on four criteria: how an individual considers his physical health, how he considers his mental health, his susceptibility to being diagnosed with a health disorder by a doctor and his risk of die at an early age.
Researchers have shown the links between certain stress factors and their consequences on health. They revealed that factors such as unemployment, having little control over one’s job and not having health insurance increased the risk of premature death more than passive smoking.
Additionally, long hours and a work life that disrupts personal life are the other factors that have been shown to increase the risk of premature death by 20%.
“Our results show that many workplace conditions have a great impact on human health,” the researchers write. They added that “in fact, the impact of work stress is as severe as that of passive smoking”.
Researchers have highlighted the effectiveness of wellness programs that many companies are beginning to adopt. They often include sports classes and yoga to be done during the lunch break. However, the researchers insist on the fact that to properly target the causes of stress at work, it is also necessary to emphasize the impact that management has on its team.
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