A quarter of the workforce is stressed
The Job Stress Index from Health Promotion Switzerland shows that one in four employees is stressed at work and feels exhausted. Young employees are particularly often affected. As a result, companies in Switzerland incur costs: the economic potential is estimated at 5.7 billion Swiss francs.
For the third time, Health Promotion Switzerland publishes the Job Stress Index as a scientific study in collaboration with the University of Bern and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences. Every year, the stress monitoring determines three key figures on the effects of work-related stress on the health and productivity of employees: the Job Stress Index, the proportion of exhausted employees and the economic potential of improvements in working conditions with regard to stress. The results of the 2016 survey confirm the findings of the two previous surveys:
- One in four workers (25.4 %) has stress, meaning more strain than resources at work.
- One in four workers (25.4 %) is exhausted.
- Stress costs employers around CHF 5.7 billion per year.
- The focus this year shows: Young employees are more likely to be stressed and exhausted and have more health-related performance issues.
The 2016 survey shows that a quarter of all employees have too few resources to be able to cushion the high stresses at work. Resources describe the possibilities to react to an imbalance between stress and demands. Almost half of all employees (46.3 %) are in the "sensitive area". In this area, existing resources are only just sufficient to compensate for the current stresses.
Full-time earners are more exhausted than part-time workers
One in four employed persons (25.4 %) is also quite or very exhausted. If this is extrapolated to all employed persons in Switzerland, this affects a total of 1.3 million people. Exhaustion is an important indicator for the well-being of the employed and a decisive link between stress and health consequences. Employees who work full-time are more exhausted than those who work part-time. This is particularly true for the 25-39 age group.
Stress costs employers around CHF 5.7 billion annually.
The economic potential for companies in Switzerland in 2016 is estimated at around CHF 5.7 billion. On the one hand, this takes into account the improved work performance due to fewer health problems during work; this accounts for 84.4 % of the economic potential (i.e. CHF 4.9 billion). On the other hand, there is the reduction in absenteeism, which amounts to 15.5 % (i.e. CHF 0.9 billion).
"The stress monitoring of Health Promotion Switzerland records working conditions and makes statements about the relationship between resources and stress at the workplace. This annual survey of the Job Stress Index provides Health Promotion Switzerland with detailed data on the topic of stress in the workplace and its connection with health and economic potential," says Prof. Thomas Mattig, Director of Health Promotion Switzerland, underlining the significance of the annual survey. The Job Stress Index makes it possible to identify developments in the working conditions surveyed at an early stage so that the negative effects can be counteracted with suitable occupational health management measures.
The "Job Stress Index 2016
The Job Stress Index is representative of the Swiss workforce. In spring 2016, 2,973 employed persons between the ages of 16 and 65 were surveyed. The survey was conducted online using the S-Tool. The S-Tool is an online survey tool from Health Promotion Switzerland for analyzing the resources and stresses as well as the current state of employees at work.
