Conducts research and collects data on the global history of labour, workers, and labour relations

Work-related Stress

19 October 1999
Source: 
BG E35/935

In 1999, according to data from the European Commission, over half of the 147 million workers in the European Union stated that they were working under high pressure and with tight deadlines. Over one-third had no say over the organisation of their work, and over one-quarter could not make any decsisions about their work schedule. Some 45 % stated that their work was monotonous, whilst 50 % indicated that they were carrying out short repetitive tasks. This combination of work-related 'stressors' was seemingly responsible for the high morbidity cited by European workers. The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) regards work-related stress as the second most common threat posed by the working environment. The Agency once more calls attention to the problem in the 'European Week for Safety and Health at Work' (19-23 October 2015).