Stress-related health issues continue to rise in society. A major factor is the challenge of finding balance in daily life and the lack of recovery. Employees becoming ill from stress affects not only the individual but also the company's productivity and work environment.
The number of ongoing sick leaves due to stress-related illnesses increased by 25 percent between 2019 and 2024. The most affected are women aged 30-39 working in education, healthcare, and social care, according to Försäkringskassans's 2024 report on mental health. This is also confirmed by statistics from Falck's tool, Sick and Healthy.
"The work life is quite fast-paced today. We spend a lot of time at work, and it's clear that the work environment has a significant impact on people's well-being," says Lena Karin Allinger, an organizational consultant at Falck.
New guidelines for mental health in the workplace
The Swedish Agency for Work Environment Expertise (Mynak) has recently released new guidelines for mental health in the workplace. The guidelines focus specifically on stress-related health issues and draw clear connections between health and the work environment. Among other things, they have updated the guidelines with a new section focusing on organization and leadership. Lena Karin Allinger was part of the guideline group that developed this new section.
"How organizations choose to structure and organize work affects mental health. High workload combined with a lack of influence and control is strongly linked to stress and burnout."
The purpose of the new guidelines is to be guiding and facilitate occupational health services in their delivery to customers, but they can also be used as support and knowledge base for employers.
"It's important to have the ability to look at multiple factors to determine the cause and effect of stress-related health issues. A high workload combined with being, for example, a parent of young children, along with other private factors that drain energy, increases the likelihood of stress-related symptoms," says Lena-Karin.
How organizations choose to structure and organize work has an impact on mental health.
Start talking about stress-related health issues
Research shows that employees hesitate to seek care for stress-related illness due to fear of stigmatization, which is also a focus in the guidelines.
"Mental health issues need to become as discussable as physical ailments. Clearly, many people experience mental health issues at various levels," says Lena-Karin.
The workplace can do a lot to contribute to understanding and more open dialogues. Factors that play a role range from how individuals are treated to working on organizational structures that prevent unhealthy stress.
"Company culture plays a significant role. What reactions do I get if I become ill and need to check out? I feel there is a lower tolerance for all types of deviations. Things are expected to run smoothly, that's how we build our systems, but they rarely do."
How to implement strategies that promote a healthy work environment
1. Promote open dialogue Create a culture where employees feel safe to talk about stress and workload without fear of stigmatization.
2. Work on organizational conditions Develop structures that enable influence and the ability to impact and plan.
3. Provide support resources Offer access to occupational health services and psychological support for employees who need it.
4. Encourage breaks and recovery Ensure that employees take regular breaks and have opportunities for recovery during the workday.
5. Develop leadership Train managers to recognize signs of stress and to lead with empathy and understanding.
