By John Salak –
Workplace stress is nothing new. It is a worldwide phenomenon. The cost to middle-aged women and the companies they work for, however, can be particularly significant, according to a study out of Sweden.
The University of Gothenburg specifically reports that women who experience work-related stress significantly increase their risk of future sick leave. The lack of influence and conflicts at work are driving stress factors.
The study aimed to investigate whether work-related mental stress is linked to sick leave among middle-aged women in the labor market. The results stem from data of almost 600 women of two different age groups, 38 and 50.
The analysis discovered that out of the more than 500 women in the study who were employed, about three-quarters of them experienced work-related or general mental stress—or both. In the year that followed, 16 percent had at least one instance of sick leave lasting for two weeks or more. Job conflicts and a lack of influence over decisions at work were most clearly associated with sick leave.
The Sweden researchers stressed their work underlined the importance of developing healthy work environments for both employees and their companies.
“Little scope for decision-making and conflicts in the work environment can predict sick leave, independent of general mental stress and previous periods of sick leave,” explained Professor Kirsten Mehlig, one of the study’s main authors. “Improving the work environment is therefore important in order to reduce sick leave among women in the labor market.”
Women may also be at particular risk of work-related stress, which brings in an additional factor in addressing the issues.
“Regardless of women’s own involvement, the effects of conflicts at work may also suggest a specific vulnerability among women that may be interesting to address in the future,” noted study leader Dominique Hange, an associate professor and general practitioner at Närhälsan’s Tidan primary care center in Skövde.
While the data used in the study focused exclusively on Swedish women, workplace stress is rampant in many countries, including the United States. One estimate sets the annual cost of workplace stress in the U.S. at $300 billion.
In line with this, 56 percent of U.S. workers in a corporate or government position feel at least somewhat burnt out at work, which is a chronic symptom of stress. Select Software Reviews goes on to note that 27 percent of workers in this pool report feeling a “high or very high degree of burnout,” which is a threat to their long-term mental health.
Burnout is also negatively affecting employee retention, as 43 percent of Millennials and 44 percent of Gen Z workers report having recently left a job because they were burnt out.
While workplace stress may be universal, paid sick time for stress or other illnesses varies widely. In Sweden, for example, employers are required to cover at least two weeks of sick time and then employees can apply to government agencies for additional support.
In the U.S., sick time is wildly different, putting a greater onus on the employee to stay on the job in order to get paid. For example, roughly one in 10 full-time working Americans don’t get any sick days at all. Just more than one in four get between just one and five days of approved time off for their health, while less than 20 percent receive between 11 and 15 days off from work should they get sick.
One survey discovered another element to address workplace stress. Few Americans even seem willing to use their sick days for mental health reasons. In fact, less than 10 percent of available sick time for men and women is taken to address mental health concerns.
Generationally, older Americans are more reluctant to use their sick time to deal with stress or related issues. While 47 percent of Generation Z and 46 percent of Millennials report being comfortable using a sick day for mental health reasons, only 42 percent of Generation X and 41 percent of Baby Boomers would consider doing the same.
Limited sick time, coupled with a seeming reluctance to use it for mental health reasons, might result in even greater unpaid leave in the future and lost productivity for employers.
