The Vhi Healthcare Stress Test
- Almost one quarter of Irish workers find work stressful
- 36% working longer hours than they used to

February 28th, 2008 – As a nation we are working longer hours, commuting further and are seeing our stress levels increase according to the findings of a survey conducted by Behaviour & Attitudes on behalf of Vhi Healthcare which were released in advance of 2008 work / life balance day.  The survey saw 660 people quizzed nationwide about their work / life balance and the stresses and strains they encounter in their every day lives, uncovering some startling facts. 

22% of those questioned said they find their work life extremely or very stressful.  People who were currently dissatisfied with the balance they have achieved between their work and personal life were particularly likely to find their work conditions stressful.  This group, who make up about 11% of those questioned, also had higher than average stress levels.  Almost half of those surveyed believed that stress levels have increased in the past five years.

Our Work Life
Almost 25% of those surveyed claimed to work for up to 34 hours per week.  Another one in four work for between 35 and 39 hours.  The balance work for 40 hours or longer each week with almost 20% claiming to work for more than 50 hours per week on average.  Interestingly there are significant difference between Dublin and rural areas with people in rural areas claiming, on average, to work longer working days than their Dublin counterparts.  When they look back over the past five years, 36% of workers say that they are working longer hours now than they used to.  Only 22% say they are working fewer hours.  This increase in work pressure has been equally shared by women and men though it does seem to be felt more acutely by younger rather than older people.

Commuting:
The average commute for workers overall is about 42 minutes.  However this varies significantly between people living in Dublin and those living in rural areas with Dublin commuters spending twice as long commuting as those in rural areas.   The average commute length in Dublin was 55 minutes compared with 30 minutes for those in rural areas and the survey found that 43% of those living in Dublin spent over 40 minutes commuting each day compared with the 20 minute commute enjoyed by 41% of those living in rural areas.

Satisfaction:
When we asked our respondents if they were satisfied with their life, the average score out of 10 was 7.81 with almost one third stating that they were highly satisfied (scoring this at 9 out of 10).  On average respondents had higher levels of satisfaction with their family lives, personal relationships and general state of their health (for each of these half or more of those quizzed gave a score of 9 or more out of 10).  Conversely they were much less happy with their working life, social life and sex life.

The Work / Life Balance
Looking at satisfaction with work/home life balance about 4 in 10 of those surveyed said that they were very or extremely satisfied with this element in their lives.  A further 4 in 10 said they were fairly satisfied and only 11% say they are not very or not at all satisfied with the balance they have achieved in this area.  The group who seem to be experiencing the most difficulty with this area is those in their 40s working in urban locations.

The Vhi Healthcare study showed distinct evidence of a difference in satisfaction with home and work life and we investigated how people who are happy or unhappy about their work/life balance felt about life in general.  The pattern was extremely clear, those who are dissatisfied with their work/life balance are more than three times as likely (as those who are satisfied) to give a lower rating to their overall satisfaction with life.

We also investigated the link between an overall sense of well being in regard to health and life satisfaction.  People who classify themselves as having a very high level of satisfaction with their personal health are more than 10 times as likely to be really satisfied with life as those individuals who have a lower level of satisfaction with their health.

Karen Belshaw, Vhi Healthcare’s Stress Expert, commented “It is worrying to see that as a nation we are becoming more stressed as this has serious implications not only for our mental well-being but also for our physical health and in turn the health of our children.  Stress has long been linked to serious medical conditions such as heart health and cancer and therefore it is imperative that we find ways to reduce stress in our every day lives and address this issue before it manifests itself in ill health.”

Articles regarding how to reduce your stress levels and improve your work / life balance can be accessed on www.vhi.ie one of Ireland’s most comprehensive online health and fitness websites, which also offers members the opportunity to direct personal queries to Vhi Healthcare’s stress expert, Karen Belshaw.  With 1.57 million members, Vhi Healthcare is the largest health insurer in Ireland and is one of the country’s most recognised and trusted household brands.  

ENDS