Large numbers of European workers suffer from stress at work. In the Netherlands, trade unions and employers’ organisations have signed a manifesto promoting measures to deal with mental illness, depression or burn-out in the workplace.
Research suggests that nearly half of the Dutch population has suffered some kind of mental illness such as an anxiety disorder, depression or burn-out. In some countries the proportion is even higher: three-quarters of Britons say they have felt unable to cope at some time within the last 12 months, with women more at risk than men.
Samen Sterk zonder Stigma, an organisation that works to bring psychological problems into the open, believes trade unions and works councils have an important role to play. The new Psychische Diversiteit Werkt! (psychological diversity works) manifesto aims to safeguard workers’ health while also reducing absenteeism and loss of productivity.