Study Reveals the Top 10 Work Stressors That Are Most Detrimental To Your Health

Professors from Stanford and Harvard Business School reported on the impact of workplace stress on health and healthcare costs. They found the top 10 stressors from work which most frequently contribute to at least 120,000 deaths per year. They are:

Lack of Health Insurance: Doctors report this as the #1  stressor of all reported illnesses.

Shift Work: Working outside of regular business hours is detrimental to sleep and impacts overall health negatively.

Long Hours: Working over 40 hours per week negatively impacts physical and mental health, it also damages social relationships which impact health.

Job Insecurity: Feeling that your job is at risk or unstable increased the odds of reporting poor health by 50%.

Work-Family Conflict: Those whose work impacts meeting familial obligations are 90% more likely to report poor health conditions.

Low Job Control: The perception of being required to do a job in which you have little or no control is a significant predictor in premature death.

High Job Demands: Highly demanding jobs raise the odds of a physician-diagnosed illness by 35%.

Low Social Support: Those without social connections or support at work, especially those in conflict report high stress and poor health outcomes.

Second-hand Smoke: Health risks of second-hand smoke exposure have long been known, but they are exponentially increased when one's job requires it.

Organizational Injustice: Employees who perceive their workplaces as unfair are 50% more likely to develop a health condition.

The recommendations for how workplaces can improve their employee's health outcomes include:

Foster a supportive work environment: Cultivate a workplace culture that values and respects employees, promotes trust, and offers flexibility and work-life balance.

Address psychological stressors: Proactively identify and mitigate psychological stressors, such as work-family conflict and work injustice, through fair policies, conflict resolution measures, and adequate support for employees facing challenges.

Prioritize prevention and well-being: Move beyond individual behavior change programs and focus on preventive measures by implementing work-family balance initiatives and minimizing layoffs to create supportive work environments that enhance employee well-being.

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