All

I've been doing some CPD!!

Anyone have an idea of the prevalence and/or costs of work-related stress in the US?

When I went into the OSHA website and typed in stress, the first thing it asked me was whether COVID-19 was causing me stress.

I found a paper on the American Society of Psychologists website analysing international data but one country notably absent from its investigation was America [Canada was mentioned]!

There is also stuff on the NIOSH section of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website but everything seems to have stopped circa 2002.

Suggestions that work related stress in the US has increased with longer working hours and advice that Employee Assistance Programs can help, but very little about tackling the causes [in the workplace] and even less data on the negative impacts.

OSHA seems to be trying to stay clear of this thorny issue even more than the Health and Safety Executive in Great Britain.

Regards, Peter

Thanks Wailes - there is quite a lot of research as to whether working excessive hours, and various shift patterns is problematic and if associated with an increase in accident rates.

In terms of shift patterns, decades ago the researchers concluded that a significant proportion of the population could not cope with the European Reverse Rotation Shift pattern, i.e. the opposite of the conventional morning, afternoon, night, typically 6-2, 2-10, 10-6.

But what I was really looking for was American data on broader work-related stress - loads of stuff on the HSE and various European and other sites to say that WRS should now be very high up on most organisations' risk registers, but the vogue at present is on Mental Health First Aiders and access to Employment Assistance Programs rather than tackling the root causes - often poor management and bullying (whether deliberate or incompetent). 

That's the bit which seems to be a big hole in the ground as regards the US, perhaps waiting for some massive class actions.

OSHA is not interested in mental stress at all. The Americans are so far behind Europe in H&S that it does not even register.   

In most cases if you suffer an injury at work you (unlike the UK) do not sue the employer for compensation. Instead you apply to a no-fault compensation scheme run by the state. For each type if injury you will receive a set level of compensation. (Nearest thing to this in the UK is probably the Criminal Injuries compensation scheme) The state then reclaims the money from the employer’s insurance policy.

In most States mental stress is not included. A few more progressive states like California do allow it in limited circumstances. This website describes how the system works- https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/california-workers-comp-recovering-mental-emotional-injuries.html

Often the claims are made under disability discrimination laws rather than the workplace compensation scheme. Essentially there is no driver to encourage anybody to look at mental health at work. Remember most workers in the US can be sacked at any time by their employer. Unlike European employment laws (which still apply in the UK) the employer does not need to prove any failure on the part of the employee to fulfil their side of the employment contract. In the US it is for the employee to prove that the employer sacking them was unlawful for example under disability laws, which vary between states.

Note, Americans work longer hours than we do and in most cases do not have much in the way of statutory sick pay or paid holidays. Being stressed about at work is almost a badge of honour in some areas. It’s not really surprising that employees sometimes “Go Postal”.

Having lived in Canada for my entire life, and been more than a casual observer of OH&S matters south of the border, I can certainly agree with the comments made regarding worker health & safety in the U.S. I know a number of OH&S practitioners there, and it is indeed a very different dynamic and value system that exists in either Canada or the UK. As has been stated, the current administration in the U.S. is not overly concerned about ensuring the average working person has a safe place to work, to put it mildly...

Argyll         

Thanks for responses to date, especially the link given by stevedm at #4 which points to some pretty huge numbers. Need to look at more closely and dig below the headlines.

AK, working as I do for an American based multinational I have to be a little careful about what I post here!

AK - definitely can't answer that Q!