Workplace stress as harmful as second-hand smoking

Anxiety and stress caused by work is just as harmful for employees as a poor diet and second hand smoking.

Researchers from Harvard Business School and Stanford University who reviewed more than 200 studies found that people who are worried about losing their jobs are 50% more likely to have poor health. Employees in stressful and demanding jobs are far more likely to suffer mental and physical illness later in life. Shockingly, those who work longer hours have been found to die younger than those who spend more time at home.

Joel Goh, Co-Author of the study and Assistant Professor of Business Administration from the Harvard School of Business, gave a statement saying that: “When you think about how much time individuals typically spend at work, it’s not that surprising.”

Further authors of the paper noted: “Extensive research focuses on the causes of workplace-induced stress. However, policy efforts to tackle the ever-increasing health costs and poor health outcomes in the United States have largely ignored the health effects of psychosocial workplace stressors such as high job demands, economic insecurity, and long work hours.”

“Using meta-analysis, we summarize 228 studies assessing the effects of 10 workplace stressors on four health outcomes. We find that job insecurity increases the odds of reporting poor health by about 50%, high job demands raise the odds of having a physician-diagnosed illness by 35%, and long work hours increase mortality by almost 20%.

“Therefore, policies designed to reduce health costs and improve health outcomes should account for the health effects of the workplace environment.”

A recent study found that over a third of workers have suffered insomnia due to stress at work. A further 38% reported feeling sick due to work and 68% had felt exhausted as a result of their employment.