Workers exposed to stress for at least half their working lives are 25 per
cent more likely to die from a heart attack, and have 50 per cent higher odds
of suffering a fatal stroke, according to research.
The TUC study reports blue-collar workers are more prone to illnesses than
white-collar executives. The ‘modern workers health check’, published in the
TUC’s Hazards magazine, found workers with stressful jobs were more than twice
as likely to die from heart disease.
A worker’s mental health deteriorates when changes in workload results in
higher demands, less control and reduced support, it suggests. Poor management
planning and organisation could lead to heart disease.
The study concludes that working for unreasonable and unfair bosses led to
dangerously high blood pressure and that workers were increasingly smoking,
drinking and ‘slobbing out’ to counter workplace stress.
Long-term work-related stress was worse for the heart than aging 30 years or
gaining 40lbs in weight, it added. www.hazards.org/workedtodeath
