117/05/2007

The 4th EuropeanThe 4th EuropeanWorking Condition Survey: Working Condition Survey:

workplace stressworkplace stress

Minds and hearts conference, Brussels 21 March 2007Minds and hearts conference, Brussels 21 March 2007

Greet VermeylenGreet VermeylenEuropean Foundation for the Improvement of living and working coEuropean Foundation for the Improvement of living and working conditionsnditions

17/05/2007 2

About the European Working Conditions About the European Working Conditions survey(ssurvey(s))

1991 – prototype questionnaire. EU-12. 20 questions.1995 – 50 questions and sub-questions. EU-15.2000 – 80 questions. EU-15.

Extended to cover 10 new member states + BG/RO in 2001Turkey, 2002

2005 – c.100 questions and subquestions. EU-25+BG/RO/HR/TR + CH/NO

Broad thematic coverage: Working time, physical / psychosocial risks, work organisation, work satisfaction, work-related health outcomes / absenteeism, non-work activities (domestic care, education etc)….

Principle: retain core questions unchanged where possible. Add new questions to reflect emerging issues or areas of survey where existing coverage is weak (eg (2005) Contactability outside work hours, ISCED, positive aspects of work)

17/05/2007 3

4EWCS: 31 countries covered in 2005 4EWCS: 31 countries covered in 2005 (30 000 employees and self(30 000 employees and self--employed)employed)

Member State

17/05/2007 4

Work intensificationWork intensificationFour proxy indicators of work intensity : increasing

working to tight deadlines,

at very high speed,

not having enough time to get work done,

regularity of interruptionsAn increasingly small % of workforce reports not / never being subject to such pressuresLevels of exposure tend to be lower in older age groupsJob autonomy high but not increasingPace of work : direct demands, performance targetsWeekly working hours decreaseSocial support from colleagues and boss : huge differences over countries

17/05/2007 5

Working to tight deadlinesWorking to tight deadlines

Working to tight deadlines

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

EU12

EU15

EU15

EU25

1990

1995

2000

2005

Never Almost never Around 1/4 Around half of time Around 3/4 Almost all the time All the time

17/05/2007 6

Violence and harassment by sectorViolence and harassment by sector

Psychosocial risk exposure by sector, %

02468

10121416

Elec

trici

ty, g

asan

d w

ater

supp

ly

Man

ufac

ture

and

min

ing

Fina

ncia

lin

term

edia

tion

Rea

l est

ate

Agric

ultu

re a

ndfis

hing

Con

stru

ctio

n

Who

lesa

le a

ndre

tail t

rade

EU

Hot

els

and

rest

aura

nts

Tran

spor

t and

com

mun

icat

ion

Publ

ic a

dmin

.an

d de

fenc

e

Educ

atio

n an

dhe

alth

Threats of violence Violence Bullying / harassment Unw anted sexual attention

17/05/2007 7

Health and safety at work Health and safety at work One in three European workers say that their work affects their healthWorkers in the new member states report significantly higher risk levels than those in old member statesThe most reported physical risk factor is repetitive hand and arm movements (62% report being exposed at least one quarter of the time)Sectors where exposure to physical risks is high in general report lower levels of discrimination and violence … though the opposite also tends to be true

17/05/2007 8

Perceived risks are decreasing consistently since Perceived risks are decreasing consistently since 1990, but last enlargement made a big change1990, but last enlargement made a big change……

% consider health and safety at risk because of work

1990 EU121995 EU15

2000 EU152005 EU25

2005 EU15 2005 NMS0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

yes

17/05/2007 9

Differences by individual countries are really bigDifferences by individual countries are really big

Do you think your health or safety is at risk because of your work? 2005 (EU25)

18%19%

23% 23% 23% 23% 24% 24% 24% 24%

27%28%

30%31%

33% 33% 33%35%

37%

40%

43%

46%47%

48% 49%51%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

DE UK NL FR DK AT IE CZ BE FI EU25 IT LU PT HU CY MT SK ES EE LT SI PL SE LV EL

17/05/2007 10

Very big differences in health outcomes between Very big differences in health outcomes between EU15 and NMSEU15 and NMS

Impact of work on health, 2005 (EU15 vs. NMS)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Work affects health

Reported symptoms:

Backache

Muscular pains

Stress

Fatigue

Headache

Irritability

Anxiety

Hearing

Respiratory

EU15 NMS

17/05/2007 11

WorkWork--related health outcomes, % of workers reporting related health outcomes, % of workers reporting individual symptomsindividual symptoms

Symptom

Backache 24.66%

Muscular pain 22.78%

Fatigue 22.55%

Stress 22.27%

Headache 15.49%

Irritability 10.48%

Injury 9.68%

Sleep 8.70%

Anxiety 7.84%

Vision 7.76%

Hearing 7.22%

Skin 6.56%

Stomach 5.83%

Respire 4.75%

Allergies 4.01%

Heart 2.41%

Other 1.55%

17/05/2007 12

Stress by countryStress by country

% reporting work-related stress by country

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

UK DE

NL IE CH

CZ

BG FREU

15 AT BE ESEU

27 FI HU LU DK IT PT MT

NO

NM

SSK LT EE C

Y PL RO HR TR LV SI SV EL

17/05/2007 13

Countries / health outcomesCountries / health outcomesCountries

BE

CZ

DK

DE

EE

EL

ES

FR

IE

IT

CY

LV

LT

LU

HU

MT

NL

AT

PL

PT SI

SK

FI

SE

UK

BGRO

-0.3

-0.2

-0.1

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

-0.4 -0.3 -0.2 -0.1 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7

+ Psychological

- Psychological

- Physical + Physical

17/05/2007 14

Sector / occupation / health outcomesSector / occupation / health outcomes

.

Sector, occupation and occupational status, EU27

Non-permanent employee

Permanent employeeSelf-employed

EmployersArmed forces

Elementary occupations

Plant and machine operators and assemblers

Craft and related trades workers

Skilled agricultural and fisheryworkers

Service, shop and market sales workers

Clerks

Technicians and associate professionals

Professionals

Legislators, senior officials and managers

Other services

Education and health

Public adminsitration and and defence

Real estateFinancial intermediation

Transport and cummunication

Hotels and restaurants

Wholesale and retail trade

Construction

Electricity, gas and water supplyManufacture and mining

Agriculture and fishing

-0.3

-0.2

-0.1

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

-0.4 -0.3 -0.2 -0.1 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7

+ Psychological

- Psychological

- Physical + Physical

17/05/2007 15

Thank youThank you

For more information, seehttp://www.eurofound.europa.eu/ewco/surveys/EWCS2005

Contact: Sara Riso Information Liaison Officer (Working Conditions)

sri@eurofound.europa.eu

17/05/2007 16

Health problems related to working at very high speedHealth problems related to working at very high speed

%Backache

StressMuscular

pains in neck and shoulders

Injuries

Workingcontinuously athigh speed

46 40 35 11

Never working athigh speed 25 21 15 5

17/05/2007 17

The European workforce : 15 years of changes The European workforce : 15 years of changes

More people at work in all sectors; however relative decline of the manufacturing industry and increase in the service industry More women at work ( 44.5% of the workforce)

but high segregation on the labour market ( 23% of gender mixed employment)

More older workers : 15% to retire in the next 10 years More part-time work (18.5%), more temporary employment (14%), more second jobs (4%)More high skilled white collar : 38% 45% of European workers have achieved an upper secondary level of education

17/05/2007 18

Place of work & health and safety at Place of work & health and safety at risk risk

Fi gur e 5 : % of wor k e r s who t hi nk t ha t t he i r he a l t h a nd sa f e t y i s a t r i sk be c a use of wor k , by pl a c e of wor k ( EU2 7 )

16.7

22.2

25.1

28.0

28.3

33.7

34.6

42.4

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

Home

Company and home

Company

Ever ywher e

Other

Outside and home

Company and outside

Outside

17/05/2007 19

Relationship between intensity and Relationship between intensity and health outcomeshealth outcomes

Intensity

No time to work ++

No time to work +

No time to work +/-

No time to work --No tight deadlines

Tight deadlines ---

Tight deadlines ++

Tight deadlines +++

No high speed High speed ---

High speed ++

High speed +++

-0.3

-0.2

-0.1

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

-0.4 -0.3 -0.2 -0.1 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7

+ Psychological

- Psychological

- Physical+ Physical

17/05/2007 20

Relationship working time / health Relationship working time / health outcomesoutcomes

Working time

Usual nightworker

Pace of work - machineNo shifts

Shifts

Full-time

Part-time

>45h

41 - 45h

36 - 40h31 - 35h10 - 30h

<10h

-0.3

-0.2

-0.1

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

-0.4 -0.3 -0.2 -0.1 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7

+ Psychological

- Psychological

- Physical + Physical

17/05/2007 21

Social support

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

BE, DE, FR, LU, ATEL, ES, IT, CY, MT, PT

DK, NL, FI, SE IE, UK

CZ, EE, LV, LT, HU, PL, SI, SK BG, RO

TR, HRCH+NO

total EU27

assistance from colleagues assistance from boss external assistance