National and international research results have highlighted the fact that workplace stress causes mental and somatic problems. The aim of the present paper is to define exposure to workplace-related ...risk factors, with special focus on psychosocial risk factors, and the way they interconnect with workplace conditions, relationships with superiors and colleagues, and moral, professional and financial appreciation.
Cross-sectional research with the help of an anonymous online self-administered questionnaire was carried out among 261 higher education employees (67% women, 33% men, mean age 43.4 years) from 12 faculties of the University of Szeged, Hungary. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS 22.0.
The primary workplace stress factors for university employees were strict deadlines (80.4%), frequent overwork (64.2%) and difficulty in meeting requirements (56.7%). Communication problems with colleagues and superiors were also highlighted (47.5%). Job strain was higher for women than for men. With regard to low financial, professional, and moral appreciation, employees were characterised by the existence of work requirements impossible to meet, as well as by low autonomy. Experience of anxiety and aggression came along with low financial and moral appreciation (p<0.001).
Our data suggests that employees at the university were subject to several psychosocial risk factors, and worked under considerable mental stress, leading to a higher prevalence of mental health problems. The results highlight the need for a health-focused policy-making in higher education to reduce health expenditure and increase efficiency at work.
Published research studies in Central Europe have been mostly oriented toward occupational stress among schoolteachers. The aim of this study is to investigate the level of occupational stress in ...kindergarten teachers and to specify psychosocial risks associated with their work.
The study was conducted by using a Meister questionnaire and a Psychosocial risk questionnaire. The data collection was obtained from kindergarten teachers in 2017. The survey link with request was sent to participants via email. A total 287 questionnaires from 67 kindergarten schools were collected.
192 (66.9%) teachers perceived their work as mentally burdensome. Teachers who perceived their work as mentally non-burdening were more likely to report autonomy in their work (p=0.001), fair performance evaluation (p=0.010), sufficient family time (p=0.005), a health-protected workplace (p=0.000) and absence of violence and bullying (p=0.042). Teachers with a university degree perceiving work as mentally burdensome reported that their work was not adequately assessed (p=0.034). Teachers over 45 years of age with school practice of over 20 years reported injustice in evaluating work performance against younger colleagues (p=0.000).
Kindergarten teachers reported overloading, time pressure, and high responsibility, but considered their work interesting. However, changing the way teachers work in schools can reduce teacher resignation and improve teachers' well-being.
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