Workplaces are unhealthy emotional environments

An ongoing joint US-Canada study has found that workplaces are generally unhealthy emotional environments.

The cross border survey of 2000 respondents by Mental Health America (MHA) and the Canadian Association for Mental Health (CAMH) reveals that a majority of employees feel very insecure in the workplace:

•    67% reported that they feel their company might fire them at any time

•    83% reported that their company is overly focused on trivial activities

•    Because of unhelpful or hostile work environments, 80% report that they tend to work alone

Despite the difficulties they face, 41% of people in unhealthy work environments report that rarely or never miss work due to work related stress. The report does not indicate if this latter finding is related to the fact that they feel insecure in their jobs, and taking sick leave might further jeopardize their employment.

“As someone who was retaliated against after blowing the whistle on a corrupt executive, I have firsthand knowledge of the devastating effects of an unhealthy workplace,” said Andrew Faas, founder of The Faas Foundation which is supporting the study by CAMH and MHA.

Take the survey here