Stressed and exhausted employees

Around 40 percent of all employees report in surveys that they feel exhausted, like Travail.Suisse writes. As a result, more and more employees are becoming mentally or physically ill. "Work processes have been constantly accelerated in recent years, and at the same time employers are demanding more and more flexibility from employees," says Thomas Bauer, head of economic policy at the umbrella organization of employees.

Excessively long and fragmented workdays

Migmar Dhakyel, central secretary of the Syna trade union, states: "In more and more companies, employers are introducing excessively long and fragmented working days. In doing so, they are endangering the health and social life of employees. Even for part-time workers, working days of 12 or 13 hours are increasingly becoming the norm." At the same time, insecure working conditions such as on-call work and temporary employment are becoming more and more widespread; they cause a lot of stress for the employees concerned.

Although there are already far too many opportunities to pass on overtime and the entrepreneurial risk to employees, employers are demanding ever more flexibility and fewer requirements, according to a media release from the umbrella organization. Adrian Wüthrich, President of Travail.Suisse, makes it clear: "The health protection of employees is not negotiable. To protect the health and private lives of employees, less flexibility is needed, not more." If more and more employees are exhausted and falling ill as a result of their work, there needs to be more time for rest, less one-sided flexibility and more ability to plan their work.

The highest stress in the hospitality industry

According to various studies, the hospitality industry is the sector with the highest work-related stress. Roger Lang, Head of Legal Services at the Hotel and Gastro Uniondemands: "Work must be plannable and have limits. The widespread overlong working days and changes to duty rosters at short notice cause unnecessary stress and make it difficult to reconcile free time, family and career. Anyone who wants to do something about the shortage of personnel in the industry must urgently start here."

Stress and exhaustion do not stop at public service staff, according to the statement. "Work and private life are becoming increasingly blurred. Clear regulations are therefore needed to ensure rest and the right to be unavailable during free time," says Olivia Stuber from the staff association transfair. As a result of digitalization, employees are forced to constantly adapt and are confronted with an increasing intensity of work activity. More vacation time and shorter working hours are sensible compensatory measures to protect the health of employees in an accelerated working world. (red.)