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27/11/2006
Up to a quarter (24%) of Swedish employees suffered from a health problem caused by their work in the 12 months preceding the 16th Swedish survey on work-related health disorders published in November 2006.
The survey covered more than 23 000 employees. The most striking finding is that more women claim to be suffering work-related health problems - 27% against 21% of men.
Work-related stress and mental strain have risen sharply over the past decade. They are the main cause of ill health cited by women workers (13%) and the second biggest cause among men (7%). The opposite applies to strenuous working postures, which are the main cause of health problems reported by men (8%) and come second for women (11%). Heavy manual labour ranks third, cited by 8% of women and 6% of men.
The survey also reveals that 37% of workers who suffered a work-related disorder in the 12 months preceding the survey took sick leave, but only 17% of respondents with a work-related disorder had reported it as an occupational injury.
Swedish employers appear not to see the problem. Barely 28% of men and 24% of women suffering from a work-related disorder said that their employer had taken steps to prevent the problem from worsening.
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