Employees’ work breaks and their physical and mental health: Results from a representative German survey

Vieten, Laura; Wöhrmann, Anne Marit; Wendsche, Johannes; Michel, Alexandra

doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2023.103998

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Participants of our sample reported a “standard” level of breaks during the work time, with a median of two 8-min pauses, in line with the Italian National regulation, which guarantees a minimum of one 10-min break for every 6 hours of work. Notably, a recent German study reported that employees frequently skipped and/or interrupted their work breaks, and this was related to physical and mental health complaints ( 34 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physical activity, musculoskeletal disorders, burnout, and work engagement: a cross-sectional study on Italian white-collar employees

Amatori,

Gobbi,

Sisti

et al. 2024

Front. Public Health

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IntroductionBoth mental and physical health of office workers had a positive relationship with their work engagement, with the latter relationship being driven by the association of a healthy diet and physical activity (PA). This observational study aimed to investigate the associations between PA levels, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), burnout, and work engagement, in a sample of white-collar employees.MethodsA total of 615 workers (age 42.2 ± 9.5 years) successfully completed an online questionnaire comprising work-related information and standardized questionnaires on PA, MSDs, burnout and work engagement.Results36.9% of the participants did not meet the PA guidelines, 19.0% adhered to them, and 44.1% exceeded them. A significant portion of participants reported suffering from MSDs, primarily neck/shoulder and/or low back/hip pain. Those exceeding PA guidelines had fewer MSDs compared to non-compliant participants and exhibited better mental health and work engagement. Compliance with PA guidelines was associated with a 38% reduced risk of emotional exhaustion, with an even greater reduction of 47% among those surpassing the guidelines.DiscussionPA could exert a positive effect on physical and mental health of employees, but only if performed above a certain amount. The study supports the need to identify workplaces as suitable for health-focused interventions and lifestyle changes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physical activity, musculoskeletal disorders, burnout, and work engagement: a cross-sectional study on Italian white-collar employees

Amatori,

Gobbi,

Sisti

et al. 2024

Front. Public Health

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“…The majority of EPs were unable to take a meal break, while most GPs were able to take a 30 min to 1 h break, though this was frequently interrupted. Skipped or interrupted breaks lead to higher levels of stress, burnout and exhaustion (emotional and physical) (71)(72)(73). It can also impair work performance and induce errors by instigating provider fatigue (74).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparison between veterinary small animal general practitioners and emergency practitioners in Australia. Part 1: demographic and work-related factors

Li,

Mooney,

McArthur

et al. 2024

Front. Vet. Sci.

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Occupational stressors are commonly encountered in small animal veterinary practice and have been associated with burnout. The working context of veterinarians differs by specialty, and this can potentially lead to variable exposures to risk factors for burnout. The aim of this study was to explore differences in demographic and working conditions of veterinary general practitioners (GPs) and emergency practitioners (EPs) to compare exposure to different potential stressors. An anonymous, online survey was administered to veterinary GPs and EPs practicing in metropolitan regions of Australia. In total, 320 participant responses were analyzed (n = 237, 74.2% GPs and n = 83, 25.9% EPs). Significant differences (P < 0.05) in the demographics and work-related exposures were found between the two groups. GPs were found to be older than EPs with a greater number of years of experience in their field (P < 0.001). Most veterinary GPs worked only day shifts (207/236, 87.7%); where EPs worked a greater variety of shift patterns, with “only day shifts” being the least common shift pattern (P < 0.001). Most GPs worked a set and predictable roster pattern (195/236, 83.6%), while most EPs did not (51/83, 61.5%). EPs worked more weekends and public holidays (P < 0.001). The EP group performed more hours of work each week but worked less overtime. The main contributing factors for overtime were scheduling factors for GPs and staffing issues for EPs. EPs were commonly not able to take meal-breaks and GPs' meal-breaks were commonly interrupted by work. EPs were more frequently exposed to patient death, euthanasia (including for financial reasons), emotionally distressed clients and delivering negative news (P < 0.001). Both groups indicated that most work environments were collegiate and supportive, and a minority reported toxic colleagues (11.8%) or management teams (26.9%). Just under one-half of respondents reported having witnessed or experienced workplace bullying. Of our respondent group, 52.0% (166/319) were not satisfied with their remuneration. Desire to leave their principal area of practice was prevalent among this survey group (192/319, 60.2%) with approximately one-third considering leaving the veterinary profession. We discuss the implications of these workplace factors, including mitigation strategies.

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Optimised break scheduling vs. rest breaks in collective agreements under fatigue and non preemption

Jeunet,

Salassa

2024

International Journal of Production Economics

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Employees’ work breaks and their physical and mental health: Results from a representative German survey

Cited by 4 publications

References 23 publications

Physical activity, musculoskeletal disorders, burnout, and work engagement: a cross-sectional study on Italian white-collar employees

Physical activity, musculoskeletal disorders, burnout, and work engagement: a cross-sectional study on Italian white-collar employees

A comparison between veterinary small animal general practitioners and emergency practitioners in Australia. Part 1: demographic and work-related factors

Optimised break scheduling vs. rest breaks in collective agreements under fatigue and non preemption

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