One in four people is at risk of burn-out in Luxembourg, a survey has found Pexels

One in four people is at risk of burn-out in Luxembourg, a survey has found Pexels

The findings were reported by the Chambre des Salariés (Chamber of Employees) in its fourth 2018 Better Work index report, published on Tuesday. Its annual surveys include responses from over 1,500 people and shows risk of burn-out rose from 16% in 2015 to 23% in 2016, where it remained stable in 2017.

“Women describe reaching this point more often than men,” the report said, listing the causes of burn-out as stress factors like excessive workloads and lack of autonomy.

There was a decrease in the factors which would contribute to a more productive workforce, such as autonomy over the work content (from 33% in 2015 to 28% in 2017), over the order in which work is done (61% to 53%) and the extent to which employees could decide on their working hours (30% to 26%).

The only area in which workers in 2017 recorded a recent positive change was autonomy over the way in which they work. In 2014, 62% said they benefited from this kind of autonomy, a proportion which fell to 55% in 2016 and rose to 58% in 2017.

“These findings can be linked to a trend for more rigid working structures,” the report author wrote, adding: “But management methods which centralise control risk, in the best case the disengagement of staff or, in the worst case, a more cynical or casual approach.”

The author further wrote that Luxembourg firms should take note since national and international studies show greater worker autonomy is crucial for increasing social and economic performance.