Among other conclusions of their analysis of 228 previous studies of the effects of workplace stress factors on health:

Unemployment and low job control have significant associations with all of the health outcomes, as does an absence of health insurance for those outcomes for which there are sufficient numbers of studies. With the exception of work–family conflict, all of the work stressors examined are significantly associated with an increased likelihood of developing a medical condition, as diagnosed by a doctor.

Psychological and social aspects of the work environment, such as a lack of perceived fairness in the organization, low social support, work–family conflict, and low job control, are associated with health as strongly as more concrete aspects of the workplace, such as exposure to shift work, long work hours, and overtime.
The association between workplace stressors and health is strong in many instances. For example, work–family conflict increases the odds of self-reported poor physical health by about 90 percent, and low organizational justice increases the odds of having a physician-diagnosed condition by about 50 percent.

"Wellness programs are great at doing what they're designed to do," Joel Goh, an assistant professor at Harvard Business School, told the Boston Globe. "But they're targeting [employee behavior], not targeting the cause of stress. There are two sides of the equation and right now we focus on one side. We're trying to call attention to the other side [of the equation], which is the effect of managerial practices."

Instant Insights /

Job stress: The new second-hand smoke?

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