Your job may be causing more than just stress; it may be subtly reducing your life expectancy and negatively impacting your health. That is the cautionary tale of a ground-breaking study conducted by Harvard and Stanford academics and published in Behavioral Science & Policy. Following an analysis of 228 different papers, the researchers discovered some startling connections between significant health risks and occupational stress.
People who are always afraid of losing their jobs are 50% more likely to report being in bad health, according to the study. The chance of getting sick is 35% higher for people who operate under a lot of pressure and have strict deadlines. And what if you’re always working late? Working long hours has been found to raise mortality risk by over 20%. These figures show the long-term, unseen toll that toxic workplaces may have on the body.
Even more concerning is the researchers’ analogy of secondhand smoke to these work-related pressures. They claim that the consequences of a toxic workplace may be equally harmful, if not more so, than frequent exposure to cigarette smoke. Employers and employees alike should reconsider how we approach work and wellbeing in light of that bold yet significant assertion.
To be clear, this article does not advocate smoking. Smoking is never considered innocuous because it has major health risks of its own. The idea is to draw attention to the fact that chronic job stress is a public health concern that we frequently ignore but that requires consideration.
The bottom line is instead of gradually taking away your life, your work should enhance it. It is not a luxury to safeguard your well-being; it is a need, whether that means establishing boundaries, advocating for improved circumstances, or thinking about changing careers.
