Time pressure and irritability at work increase

According to many employed time pressure and irritability in the workforce, the work has increased at work in the past two years. Four out of five respondents notice negative changes in work, as can be seen from a survey under 2018 in companies in companies for the first representative survey of the German statutory accident insurance (DGUV).

51 percent of the respondents report a higher time pressure, 43 percent of a more irritant working atmosphere and 29 percent of a falling culture of errors. According to 22 percent, health and security are neglected more often.

Half of the respondents mentions a high workload and time pressure as the main cause of accidents, followed by overtime (32 percent), inadequate communication (27 percent) and lack of breaks (25 percent).

DGUV general manager Stefan Hussy emphasized the increasing psychological strain in the world of work, for example through time pressure and work densification. The main drivers are digitization and bureaucracy, but above all the lack of personnel and specialists because of demographic change. “This is not without consequences for the employees: the stress level is increasing,” said Hussy. Time pressure, errors in communication and lack of scope could become an accident risk.

Companies are under pressure, because around a third of the respondents evaluate the economic situation in their own company as less good or bad. The shortage of skilled workers is therefore the biggest challenge (59 percent).