2023-08-22 08:24:50
In Switzerland, work is less of a burden than in Europe – but it is a burden
Overall, employees in Switzerland are better off than in the rest of Europe. But when it comes to the pace of work and the pressure of deadlines, Switzerland is the European champion, complains the Unia trade union.
High work pace, deadline pressure, but less stressful situations than in the rest of Europe: construction workers on a construction site in Zurich.
Symbol photo: Raisa Durandi
Swiss employees feel stressed – but in most respects less than usual in Europe: This is shown by the latest European survey on working conditions, which the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) published on Tuesday.
A total of over 71,000 workers from 35 countries were surveyed during the 2021 pandemic. In Switzerland, almost one in four (23 percent) saw their own health in danger, in Europe it was significantly more at 34 percent.
Faster pace of work, but more variety
In Switzerland, 55 percent complained about strain on the musculoskeletal system, namely about the same hand or arm movements, while in Europe it was 66 percent.
Conversely, the pace of work in Switzerland is perceived to be significantly higher: 59 percent of employees in this country complain about it, compared to 49 percent in Europe.
The deadline pressure is also more difficult for them than in other countries. In addition, people in Switzerland often work in their free time in order to meet the working conditions at all. More than a third (36 percent) of respondents complained about it, in Europe it was 29 percent.
On the other hand, more than half of the Swiss gave positive ratings to their career opportunities, freedom of choice and support from superiors. These values were significantly higher than in Europe. Participation and a say in the workplace were also rated significantly better than in other European countries.
Seco: «We have a high-performance job market in every respect»
Overall, the working conditions in Switzerland are very good, Boris Zürcher, Head of the Directorate for Labor at Seco, summed up the media: “We have a high-performance labor market in every respect.”
It is true that not only wages and productivity are high, but also the intensity of work. But people are able to deal with it, mainly because they find their work meaningful. According to the survey, 91 percent had this feeling in Switzerland, while in Europe the figure was somewhat lower at 88 percent.
Union Unia sees an urgent need for action
Unlike Seco, the Unia union sees a clear need for action. She classifies the ergonomic strains and the pressure to get the work done quickly and on time as alarming. “If the deadline pressure endangers safety and health, as can currently be observed on construction sites, there is an urgent need for action,” says a statement.
With the prevention of ergonomic loads, progress must finally be made. In addition, shorter working days and weeks are also the order of the day from a health perspective.
The union sees the employers as having a duty to ensure safe and non-health-damaging jobs. A central element is the participation of the employees. The fact that a third of the employees have no opportunity to participate is a violation of fundamental employee rights.
Third survey since 2005
It is the third pan-European survey, having already taken place in 2005 and 2015. Because the method had to be changed because of the pandemic – only telephone interviews were possible, no face-to-face interviews – no comparisons are possible. However, according to Zürcher, the relationship between the assessments of Swiss and European employees is largely stable.
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