If you've ever complained about your work environment slowly killing you, you might want to take a look at this. The results of a 20-year study conducted by Tel Aviv University show that a hostile work environment increases risk of death. In particular, people who said they received insignificant to zero social support from their workmates were 2.4 times more likely to die than those who felt close to their co-workers. Back in 1988, the researchers interviewed 820 people aged 25 to 65 after a physical exam and asked them about their work environments. Questions included how much control they had in the office and how they related to their co-workers and boss. By 2008, when the study ended, the researchers had tracked 53 deaths. Most of these individuals reported having a hostile work environment at the start of the study.
The increased risk of death only occurred in relation to a person's relationships with his co-workers and not his boss. Men who reported having more freedom at work had a lower risk of death. On the other hand, women in the same situation experienced a 70 percent increase in their death risk, implying that career women are also more likely to be working mothers with multiple responsibilities.
The researchers note that unhealthy work environments could cause chronic stress and lead to bad health and death, which could explain the results they found in their study. Meanwhile, having a great support group at work can benefit your emotional and physical health.
If you're feeling stressed and unhappy in the office because of your co-workers, it might be time to consider getting a new job. While a lot of factors can contribute to a person's eventual death, living a stressful life at work can also hinder your career progress and negatively influence your emotional health. Seek support from your friends, and ask them for advice before you make your next step.
Need help getting rid of work stress? Check out these articles to find out more about it and learn how to deal with it:
- Burnout Busters: 8 Stress-Relief Techniques for Career Women
- Bye-Bye, Burnout: Schedule Your Downtime for Better Work-Life Balance
- The Stress Files: 10 Most Common Reasons for Fatigue
- Burnout Busters: 3 Tips to Avoid Working Yourself to Exhaustion
- New Study: Working High-Pressure Jobs Increases Chances of Heart Disease
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