equip-workers-unions | Healthy Work Campaign

Why Prioritize Work Stress?

Worker health & safety is fundamental to the labor movement. Over 60% of U.S. workers report high levels of work stress, and poor mental health, resulting from poor working conditions.

These sources of stress at work, also called “psychosocial hazards”, can cause burnout, depression, musculoskeletal disorders, injuries, higher blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease.

Use the Healthy Work Survey

Concerned about the impact of work stress on you or workers you represent? Use our free, online, anonymous, Healthy Work Survey and automated group report, to engage workers/members about work stress and health. To get started, request access to the survey as an organization or take the survey as an individual.

For Organizations

For Individuals

Schedule a Work Stress Education Workshop or Training

Want to know more about how work stress harms the health, safety and well-being of working people? Do you want to engage your health & safety leaders and members about reducing hazardous sources of stress in the workplace? Book a training or workshop with one of our expert HWC team members.

How to use the Healthy Work Survey

Worker Education

Train the trainer

Schedule a Workshop

Hear from a Facilitator

Strategies for Workers

As individuals, we are often told to work hard and not complain. We might hear “just be glad you have a job.” What other choices do we have? Leaving a job is not always feasible, and doesn’t guarantee a better one will be around the corner. But we also have a right to a safe and healthy workplace. Where can you start?

Hear Worker Stories

Read short case studies that give examples of collective bargaining contracts and workplace research partnerships that have addressed workplace stressors

1 min read

End to End Stress: One Workers’ Journey

Read what Louis reveals about working as a bus driver in New York

The Toll on Relationships: One Spouse’s Story

Read what one video game developer’s spouse had to say about required long work hours.

Overcoming Challenges, Working with Others

Read what Raul in Tennessee did to combat unsafe working conditions in construction.

Strategies for Unions

Unions and worker groups have initiated efforts to improve working conditions, through collective bargaining, workplace-participatory research, and advocating for state, local or federal legislation. Many of these efforts have not been scientifically studied to determine their effectiveness. However, laws and regulations also typically reach more people than the workplace-based programs that have been studied, and provide a legal requirement to reduce job stressors. The case reports below are based on articles, reports or news stories from health professionals and from union publications. There are also links directly to a report, toolkit, or other external resources.

Collective Bargaining

The case reports below are examples of labor-management contracts and campaigns, which may have helped to reduce sources of stress at work and improve working conditions and worker health and safety.

Workplace Participatory Research

Health Care

Reducing work stress and improving the mental health of hospital workers (Quebec, Canada)

Manufacturing

Job redesign at a sweets manufacturing company in England

Public Sector Workers

Supervisor Support and Work-life balance

Teachers/Education

Workplace policies and programs to reduce job stress among K-12 education staff (U.S.)

Transit Workers – bus drivers

Workplace bullying/discrimination/violence

Laws and Regulations

Unions or worker groups initiated many of these legislative efforts to improve working conditions, but most have not been scientifically studied to determine their effectiveness. However, laws and regulations also typically reach more people than the workplace-based programs that have been studied, and provide a legal requirement to reduce job stressors. The case reports were based on articles, reports or news stories from health professionals and from union publications. There are also links directly to a report, toolkit, or other external resources.

U.S. State Legislation and Regulations

U.S. National Healthy Work-Related Policy/Guidelines

International Work Stress Prevention Standards or Guidelines

Along with international standards or policies, many countries worldwide have work stress prevention policies, guidelines, standards, or laws.

Australia

Canada

Europe

Japan

United Kingdom

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank and acknowledge the many people who wrote and reviewed these case studies, not the least of which Paul Landsbergis, PhD, MPH, Principal Investigator for the Healthy Work Toolkit, who supervised the development, review, and completion of each case study, in addition to researching and writing a number of them.

This project was made possible, in large part, by the dedication of Dr. Landsbergis’ SUNY Downstate School of Public Health graduate students, who researched and drafted many of the case studies, and whose time was funded by a grant from the Center for Social Epidemiology. We greatly appreciate and acknowledge:

Jeanine Botta
Daphne Brown
Rivka Franklin
Yocheved Halberstam
Christopher Jimenez
Marie-Anne Rosemberg
Elina Shtridler

Additionally, for their review and helpful comments, we warmly thank and acknowledge:

Alex Bryson
Bill Borwegen
Mark Catlin
Ellen Cobb
Marnie Dobson
Mahée Gilbert-Ouimet
Leslie Hammer
David Holman
Katherine Lippel
Jane Lipscomb
Minnesota Association of Public Employees
New York State Nursing Association
Jonathan Rosen
Glenn Shor
Jan Thomason
Xavier Trudel
Kurt Wahlstedt

It’s time to address psychological health and safety at work.

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FAQs

Find answers to common questions about our resources for workers and unions, how they may benefit you, and how you can get in touch for additional support.

What is the Healthy Work Campaign?

The Healthy Work Campaign (HWC) is a public health campaign focused on raising awareness in the U.S. about the health impacts of work stress on working people. We provide expert guidance about the positive actions individuals and organizations can take to advance healthy work. HWC is a project of the Center for Social Epidemiology (CSE), a 501c3 nonprofit.

What is the difference between unhealthy and healthy work?

Unhealthy work is when work is organized in a way which chronically exposes working people to stressful working conditions and other hazards. The culture and organization of work in the U.S. exposes individuals to a number of work stressors that are found in every occupation and industry, and that can cause mental and physical illness. Healthy work minimizes harmful work stressors (sources of stress at work) that take a toll on the health and productivity of working people. Healthy work is respectful, just, more sustainable, and promotes health and well-being.

How can individuals participate?

Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed about the campaign
Follow us on social media, amplify our message, and tag us @healthyworknow with the hashtag #healthywork
Take our Healthy Work Survey for Individuals
Schedule a workshop/training for you and your co-workers
Make use of our Strategies for Workers resource section on this page
Power our mission with a simple one-time or monthly donation
Build our capacity by making use of your employer matching program

How can unions and other labor groups participate?

Unions can be more effective in protecting their members’ health and safety by working to reduce and prevent work stressors that can harm their members’ mental and physical health. Many unions are already tackling issues affecting healthy work including, work intensification (often the result of understaffing, layoffs, or “lean work” practices), “job strain” (high demands, low control, little support), long work hours, shift work, “precarious” work (non-standard employment, temp work), bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment, and the respect and dignity all people deserve whatever job they have.
Interested in addressing work stress among your membership? Check out our Strategies for Unions resource section on this page.

How can I book a workshop or training with you?

We are so glad you are taking another step toward making work healthier for you and other workers. Please complete our Schedule a Workshop form, and we will get back to you soon.

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