A new study by Travail.Suisse, a employees' association, has found that workers in Switzerland are more burnt-out than ever, with more than half a million people looking to change jobs because of stress. While staff concerns around burnout grow, fewer people said they feared losing their jobs.

Workers in Switzerland more stressed at work

According to the latest Working Conditions Barometer, stress around jobs in Switzerland grew significantly last year, with 43 percent of workers now reporting that they are “regularly stressed” when at work. Chief among workers’ concerns was a fear that their workload would increase to unsustainable levels.

In terms of working culture, two in three workers admitted to doing their jobs outside of working hours. The high workload, coupled with less free time, means 650.000 employees in Switzerland are looking to change jobs - around 12 percent of the working population.

Swiss unions call for more compassionate working environment

“Employers need to be more aware of this fact and reduce the intensity of work,” a Travail.Suisse spokesperson told Le Matin. “Social security should also be able to exercise recourse against those who have not fulfilled their duty of care in the event of illness caused by an excessive workload.”

In recent months, the excessive worker shortage in Switzerland, coupled with an increase in workers taking sick leave - so much so that a tram service in Zurich had to be cut from the timetable completely because of staff absences - has put extra pressure on those that remain at work. To help solve the problem, Travail.Suisse called on entrepreneurs and international companies to create “a more human conception of work” based on employee health and well-being.

Swiss worker shortage belays fears around job losses

In some positive news, while stress levels remain high, Travail.Suisse found that the continual worker shortage has soothed many people’s concerns about losing their job. Only 11,2 percent of those surveyed said they were worried about becoming unemployed, the lowest level recorded since 2015.

54 percent of workers said that their employers had encouraged them to pursue further or higher education. While he said there is still room for improvement, the head of training policy at Travail.Suisse, Gabriel Fischer, commented that “employers seem to be increasingly recognising the value of continuing education for their employees, which is positive.”

Travail.Suisse demands pay rise for all workers

Finally, the workers' organisation concluded “that current inflation represents a heavy burden for workers. A loss of purchasing power is painful for them and represents a risk for the economy.“ They called on businesses to offer their employees better salaries, to counter the biggest loss in purchasing power since World War Two.