Stress causing Europeans to stay home from work

Nearly one in four European workers suffers from job-related stress. Demands on workers are increasing while job security is decreasing, according to a new study.

Europe’s reputation for 35-hour work weeks and generous amounts of vacation time belies the fact that many workers find themselves facing an unhealthy amount of stress.

Stress is responsible for more than half of all missed work days, costing the European economy an estimated 20 billion euros ($29 billion) each year, according to statistics from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). The agency recently released a study results on psychosocial risks in the workplace.

Read the article: Deutsche Welle, 11 February 2008