scholarly journals Work stress on rise? Comparative analysis of trends in work stressors using the European working conditions survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Rigó ◽  
N. Dragano ◽  
M. Wahrendorf ◽  
J. Siegrist ◽  
T. Lunau
Keyword(s):  
Work Stress ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Job Strain ◽  
Work Stressors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
European Working ◽  
Effort Reward Imbalance ◽  
European Working Conditions Survey ◽  
Reward Imbalance ◽  
Stress At Work

Abstract Objective The rapid transformation of labor markets has been accompanied by the belief of rising stress at work. However, empirical evidence on such trends based on reliable survey data is scarce. This study analyzes long-term trends in well-established measures of work stressors across Europe, as well as potential occupational differences. Methods We use repeated cross-sectional data of 15 European countries from waves 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015 of the European Working Conditions Surveys. We apply three-way multilevel regressions (with employees nested in country-years, which are in turn nested in countries) to analyze trends in work stressors measured according to the demand-control and effort-reward imbalance models. Trends by occupational groups are also assessed. Results Our findings suggest that work stress generally increased from 1995 to 2015, and that the increase was mostly driven by psychological demands. People working in lower-skilled occupations had generally higher levels of job strain and effort-reward imbalance, as well as they tend to have a steeper increase in job strain than people working in higher-skilled occupations. Most of the change occurred from 1995 to 2005. Conclusion Our results indicate that work stress has been on rise since 1995, specifically for people working in disadvantageous occupations. This directs the attention to the vulnerable position of the least skilled and also to the use of preventive measures to counteract some of the disadvantages experienced by this occupational group.

scholarly journals УМОВИ РОБОЧОГО СЕРЕДОВИЩА І ДИСБАЛАНС ЗУСИЛЬ-ВИНАГОРОДИ ПРАЦІВНИКІВ ФІНАНСОВИХ УСТАНОВ

2021 ◽  
pp. 58-65
Author(s):  
Андрій Федоренко
Keyword(s):  
Working Conditions ◽  
European Working ◽  
Effort Reward Imbalance ◽  
European Working Conditions Survey ◽  
Reward Imbalance

В умовах глобалізації та зростаючих вимог, що пред’являються працівникові, важливим є підтримання здоров’я і благополуччя людини на робочому місці. Розглянуто можливість регулювання рівня стресу і зусиль, а також балансу зусиль і винагороди в рамках моделі Effort-Reward imbalance (ERI). Мета статті — виявити зв’язок між певними факторами робочого середовища та оцінюванням відповідності зусиль і винагороди згідно з моделлю ERI. Дослідження розглядає зв’язок чинників організації праці з рівнем стресу працівників і доданими зусиллями на роботі. Дослідження базується на відповідях 1 148 осіб, що працюють у фінансовому секторі 35 країн Європи. Опитування респондентів відбувалося в рамках European Working Conditions Survey 2015 (EWCS 2015). За результатами проведення кореляційного аналізу було виявлено: слабкий зв’язок рівня стресу з балансом зусиль-винагороди; помірний зв’язок оцінки справедливості з балансом зусиль-винагороди; слабкий зв’язок між справедливістю і рівнем стресу. Зв’язок зусиль працівника і рівня стресу з певними факторами робочого середовища (автономія, чіткість завдань і зворотний зв’язок, залученість до управління, ефективні управлінські практики, гнучкість робочого графіка, навчання, соціальна підтримка) слабкий або відсутній. Спостерігається зв’язок соціальної підтримки і ефективних управлінських практик із компонентом винагороди моделі ERI. Поліпшення показників факторів робочого середовища не впливає на рівень стресу і зниження зусиль працівників. Стрес і певний рівень напруги є необхідними умовами виконання роботи. Соціальна підтримка та ефективні управлінські практики сприймаються працівниками у взаємозв’язку з компонентом винагороди в моделі ERI. Регулювання оцінювання балансу зусиль і винагороди можливе за рахунок факторів винагороди, соціальної підтримки, ефективних управлінських практик.

scholarly journals Associations between labour market policies and work stressors

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
T Lunau ◽  
M Rigó
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Job Strain ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Psychosocial Work ◽  
Work Stressors ◽  
Labour Market Policies ◽  
Psychosocial Working Conditions ◽  
European Working

Abstract Background Many studies have shown that psychosocial work stressors have a negative impact on health. It is therefore important to understand how psychosocial work stressors can be reduced. First cross-sectional studies have shown that working conditions are influenced at the political level. With this study, we want to extend the existing studies by specifically looking at the longitudinal dimension and test if changing labour market policies are related to changes in psychosocial work stressors. Methods We used comparative longitudinal survey data from the European Working Conditions Survey (27 countries; years 2005, 2010, 2015). The measure of psychosocial work stressors is based on two established work stress models: job strain and effort-reward imbalance. To measure labour market policies we used information on active (ALMP) and passive labour market policies (PLMP). 64659 participants were eligible for the ERI analysis and 67114 participants for the analyses on job strain. Estimation results are provided by three-level multilevel regressions. Results An increase in ALMP investments lead to a decrease of ERI and therefore to an improvement in psychosocial working conditions. The analyses for the subcomponents showed that these results are mainly driven by reward: an increase in ALMP investments lead to an increase in rewards. We didn't find significant associations between ALMP and job strain and between a change in PLMP measures and the observed work stressors. Discussion The study extends current knowledge with longitudinal information by showing that an increase in ALMP lead to an increase in rewards and a decrease of ERI. These longitudinal analyses are more closely related to a causal interpretation than previous cross-country analyses. The findings of this study may have important policy implications. Our main result suggests that investments into ALMP can improve certain working conditions and therefore improve workers' health. Key messages Psychosocial work stressors have a negative impact on health. Investments into active labour market policies can improve psychosocial working conditions.

scholarly journals Effort–reward imbalance at work, over-commitment personality and diet quality in Central and Eastern European populations

2016 ◽  
Vol 115 (7) ◽  
pp. 1254-1264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sung-Wei Chen ◽  
Anne Peasey ◽  
Denes Stefler ◽  
Sofia Malyutina ◽  
Andrzej Pajak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Work Stress ◽  
Diet Quality ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Dietary Guideline ◽  
Effort Reward Imbalance ◽  
Unhealthy Diet ◽  
Reward Imbalance

AbstractThe aims of this study were to investigate the associations between work stress defined by the effort–reward imbalance (ERI) model and diet quality and to examine the potential role of over-commitment (OC) personality in ERI–diet relationships. A cross-sectional study was conducted in random population samples of 6340 men and 5792 women (age 45–69 years) from the Czech Republic, Russia and Poland. Dietary data were collected using FFQ. The healthy diet indicator (HDI) was constructed using eight nutrient/food intakes (HDI components) to reflect the adherence to WHO dietary guideline. The extent of imbalance between effort and reward was measured by the effort:reward (ER) ratio; the effort score was the numerator and the reward score was multiplied by a factor adjusting for unequal number of items in the denominator. Logistic regression and linear regression were used to assess the associations between exposures (ER ratio and OC) and outcomes (HDI components and HDI) after adjustment for confounders and mediators. The results showed that high ER ratio and high OC were significantly associated with unhealthy diet quality. For a 1-sd increase in the ER ratio, HDI was reduced by 0·030 and 0·033 sd in men and women, and for a 1-sd increase in OC, HDI was decreased by 0·036 and 0·032 sd in men and women, respectively. The modifying role of OC in ERI–diet relationships was non-significant. To improve diet quality at workplace, a multiple-level approach combining organisational intervention for work stress and individual intervention for vulnerable personality is recommended.

scholarly journals 1175Work stress and loss of years lived without chronic disease; an 18-year prospective cohort study

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeppe K. Sørensen ◽  
Elisabeth Framke ◽  
Jacob Pedersen ◽  
Kristina Alexanderson ◽  
Jens P. Bonde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Chronic Disease ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Work Stress ◽  
Job Strain ◽  
Low Risk ◽  
Effort Reward Imbalance ◽  
Reward Imbalance ◽  
Disease Free

Abstract Background Aim: To examine the association of work stress with future chronic disease incidence and loss of chronic disease-free life years in the Danish workforce. Method A population-based prospective register-based cohort study of all employees aged 30-59 in 2000 in Denmark, without chronic diseases at baseline (n = 1,592,491). Using job exposure matrices, we assessed exposure to work stress by a combined measure of job strain and effort-reward imbalance. We estimated the risk of incident hospital-diagnosed chronic disease or death (i.e., type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure, and dementia) during 18 years of follow-up and corresponding chronic disease-free life expectancy. Results Individuals working in occupations with high risk of both job strain and effort-reward imbalance had a slightly higher risk of future incident chronic disease compared to those in occupations with low risk of both stressors. The hazard ratio was 1.04 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.05) in women and 1.12 (95% CI 1.11 to 1.14) in men. The corresponding loss in chronic disease-free life expectancy was 0.25 years in women and 0.84 years in men. Conclusion Working in occupations with a high risk of work stress was associated with a small loss of years lived without chronic disease compared to working in occupations with low risk of work stress. Key messages According to our findings, employees in occupations with high risk of work stress live slightly shorter lives free of chronic diseases compared to employees in occupations with low risk of work stress.

scholarly journals Effort-Reward Imbalance, Over-Commitment and Depressive Episodes at Work: Evidence from the ELSA-Brasil Cohort Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (17) ◽  
pp. 3025 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tânia Maria de Araújo ◽  
Johannes Siegrist ◽  
Arlinda B. Moreno ◽  
Maria de Jesus Mendes da Fonseca ◽  
Sandhi M. Barreto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Work Stress ◽  
Prevalence Ratio ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Additive Interaction ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
R Ratio ◽  
Effort Reward Imbalance ◽  
Reward Imbalance ◽  
Depressive Episodes

A growing burden of mental illness, and in particular depression, among workers is a concern of occupational public health. Scientific evidence has revealed consistent associations of work-related stress, as measured by theoretical models, with depression, but mostly so in developed countries. This contribution explores these associations in a developing Latin American country, Brazil, by applying an internationally established work stress model, the effort-reward imbalance (ERI). This model focuses on the work contract where unjust exchange between high efforts spent and low rewards received in turn contributes to stress-related disorders. The model’s extrinsic (‘effort’, ‘reward’) and intrinsic components (‘over-commitment’), as well as their combination, are hypothesized to be related to a higher risk of depressive episodes (DE). Using cross-sectional data from the ELSA-Brasil study, including 10,034 workers from the public sector, we observed increased prevalence ratio (PR) of DE according to ERI scales. The quartiles of highest ‘effort’ (PR = 1.85; 1.44–2.37), highest ‘over-commitment’ (PR = 3.62; 2.80–4.70) and lowest ‘reward’ (PR = 3.44; 2.55–4.64) were associated with DE, on adjusted models, as well was the E–R ratio (PR = 2.47; 1.92–3.17). An additive interaction was identified between the E–R ratio and ‘over-commitment’. The results support the use of ERI as a screening tool for work stress in the Brazilian context and will offer guidance for worksite health promotion programs.

Psychosocial job strain as a mediator between physical working conditions and symptoms associated with sick building syndrome

Human Affairs ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leif W. Rydstedt
Keyword(s):  
Working Conditions ◽  
Job Strain ◽  
Sick Building Syndrome ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
White Collar Workers ◽  
Sick Building ◽  
Reward Imbalance

AbstractThe purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine whether psychosocial working conditions may be a mediator between indoor physical working conditions and the type of vague general health symptoms included in the diagnosis of sick building syndrome (SBS). The study was based on survey data from 1505 British white-collar workers from 20 different organizations. A path analysis revealed that there was a significant direct relation between physical working conditions and vague symptoms and also psychosocial job strain (Effort-Reward Imbalance ratio), which in turn also strongly related to the vague symptoms. The findings thus suggested a mediating role between physical working conditions and symptoms for psychosocial job strain. Due to the cross-sectional study design no conclusions on causality can be drawn.

scholarly journals Update of the fractions of cardiovascular diseases and mental disorders attributable to psychosocial work factors in Europe

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Niedhammer ◽  
Hélène Sultan-Taïeb ◽  
Agnès Parent-Thirion ◽  
Jean-François Chastang
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Diseases ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Job Strain ◽  
Job Insecurity ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Psychosocial Work ◽  
Long Working Hours ◽  
European Working ◽  
Effort Reward Imbalance ◽  
Reward Imbalance

Abstract Objectives The objectives of this study were to provide the fractions of cardiovascular diseases and mental disorders attributable to five psychosocial work exposures, i.e. job strain, effort-reward imbalance, job insecurity, long working hours, and bullying in Europe (35 countries, including 28 European Union countries), for each one and all countries together, in 2015. Methods The prevalences of exposure were estimated using the sample of 35,571 employees from the 2015 European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) for all countries together and each country separately. Relative risks (RR) were obtained via literature reviews and meta-analyses already published. The studied outcomes were: coronary/ischemic heart diseases (CHD), stroke, atrial fibrillation, peripheral artery disease, venous thromboembolism, and depression. Attributable fractions (AF) for each exposure and overall AFs for all exposures together were calculated. Results The AFs of depression were all significant: job strain (17%), job insecurity (9%), bullying (7%), and effort-reward imbalance (6%). Most of the AFs of cardiovascular diseases were significant and lower than 11%. Differences in AFs were observed between countries for depression and for long working hours. Differences between genders were found for long working hours, with higher AFs observed among men than among women for all outcomes. Overall AFs taking all exposures into account ranged between 17 and 35% for depression and between 5 and 11% for CHD. Conclusion The overall burden of depression and cardiovascular diseases attributable to psychosocial work exposures was noticeable. As these exposures are modifiable, preventive policies may be useful to reduce the burden of disease associated with the psychosocial work environment.

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