Worker burnout warnings spread across World Economic Forum

[dkf]

Economic turmoil, round-the-clock communication and constant social pressure to succeed have led to a costly increase in stress-related illness and burnout, a panel of experts told a packed session in the Swiss ski resort of Davos.

"In the future, the greatest challenge to the global health system will be stress-related diseases," said Heinz Schuepbach, director of the school of applied psychology at the University of Northwestern Switzerland.

The phenomenon is rapidly growing more prevalent, he added. According to a study this week by one of Germany's top health insurance companies, one in five workers in Europe's top economy has fallen ill from stress at work.

In the last four years, sales of anti-depression drugs have risen by more than 40 percent in Germany, the study showed.

As burnout is not an "official" disease, concrete statistics on its spread are hard to come by, said Toni Bruehlamm, chief doctor at the Hohenegg clinic in Switzerland and an expert on the subject.

"But it is definitely becoming more and more frequent. I see this from the number of people I see in my clinic and from what my colleagues tell me," he told AFP.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/01/worker-burnout-warnings-spread-world-economic-forum/

[Catherina]

1. Corporate slaves not being as productive? I can understand their concern. Rec'd n/t

[Ikonoklast]

2. Who cares? Burn 'em up, there's more meat standing in line for those jobs.

Become a working class caualty, no longer be productive after killing yourself on the job, then get kicked to the curb.


If they were born wealthy, they wouldn't have these problems, so it's their own fault.

[dkf]

3. Have job but no time/life vs no job and lots of time.

The happy medium is disappearing.

[girl gone mad]

4. Look at video of factory workers in China.

You don't have to watch for very long to realize that the conditions under which they are working will put immense strain on their bodies and minds. I would guess that most will start experiencing repetitive stress disorders within a few months. The human body has not evolved to perform the same awkward motions for hours on end, then recover to do it again the next day. This lifestyle is emotionally and physically taxing.

Here's an example of what I mean:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KAny-1saS4

There is a big push for improved ergonomic conditions, but that won't be enough.

[dkf]

5. And how many have committed suicide...

It's starting to get to them.