The world of work that we live in seems to be guided by a fundamental principle, which is to maximise productivity and earnings. We are surrounded by methods whose aim is to obtain maximum results with minimum effort and minimum investment.
One of the consequences of this type of mentality is the creation of toxic environments in which everyone, from employees to managers, is constantly under very high levels of stress and discontent.
A stressful work pace, deadlines which are impossible to meet and too much overtime are just some of the factors that contribute to making our work not only unbearable, but even dangerous. Depression, suicide and heart attacks are just some of the results on the long list of consequences.
Studies show that the effects of stress on people are numerous, and we know all too well the consequences for people that live in stressful environments over long periods. The thing that we might have perhaps underestimated, is the enormous impact that stress has on society as a whole, as well as within a company.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. It is possible to imagine a world where work doesn’t cause stress and illness, but the creation of such a situation would require collective action, so that work would no longer be something that we risk dying for.