Work negatively impacts mental and physical health

Almost 2200 (44%) of 5000 workers recently surveyed felt their work impacts negatively on their mental or physical health, reveals research conducted by Medibank. The research examined 13 different industries and discovered that many workers felt their employment impacted their health, with over one in two (54%) specifying that work affected their physical health and 40% believing it impacted their mental health. A quarter felt they worked for an organisation that had a high risk of harm to their physical health (26%) or mental health (24%).

• 69% of respondents were generally happy with their health - those in the mining sector were the happiest (77%) while the lowest number of workers happy with their health was in the government sector (57%).
• 85% of workers believed that employers should offer workplace health programs or invest in the health and wellbeing of their employees.
• More workers in metropolitan areas considered that their work had a negative impact on their physical health (39%) or mental health (30%) relative to other locations.

The survey, conducted in conjunction with the Allen Consulting Group, focussed on the industries of government, transport, healthcare and medical, hospitality, finance, electricity and gas, mining, construction, manufacturing, education, retail, agriculture and professional services. Over half of the respondents (57%) said that a potential employer’s focus on workplace health and wellbeing was ‘very important’ or ‘somewhat important’ when deciding where to work. Furthermore, 85% of workers believe that employers should offer workplace health programs or invest in the health and wellbeing of their employees, with 82% believing that employers bore responsibility for funding this, said Dr Melissa Lehmann, National Manager, Specialist Services Unit - Medibank Health Solutions.

In spite of an overwhelming majority of workers wanting their employers to invest in their health, less than half of those surveyed - 45% - were aware of being offered some kind of workplace health program.

Of the 45% of employees who were offered workplace health programs, just over half, or 52%, participated in them. Positively, 72% of those who participated considered that it led to an improvement in their health and wellbeing. While the majority of respondents indicated that they are generally happy with their health (69%), those in the mining sector appeared to be the happiest (77%) while the lowest number of workers happy with their health was in the government sector (57%). 

The health self-assessment results also provided an interesting insight into Australians’ self-perceptions versus reality, as Dr Lehmann explains: “Over half the respondents rated their fitness levels as ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’. However, we know that 61.4% of the Australian population is either overweight or obese, so it’s apparent that many people are in denial regarding their true fitness status. It’s important that Australians wake up to the reality of their true health status and take steps to positively change it.”

Location played a major role in determining perspectives towards workplace health. More workers in metropolitan areas considered that their work had a negative impact on their physical health (39%) or mental health (30%) relative to other locations. Absenteeism from work was also higher the closer respondents’ workplaces were to metropolitan areas. However, 55% of workers in remote areas considered they work in an organisation with a high risk of harm to their physical health.