Some employees would renounce 21% of their salary

One of the main Gene generation priorities When facing its entry into the labor market is the mental health and the balance between its Working life and staff. However, more and more people from different generations consider that their mental health and their quality of life at work They are worth much more than a simple figure in the payroll.

The work environment has changed and, with it, the priorities of the employees: a good salary is no longer enough if the price to pay is a level of stress that affects daily life.

A study of the Iseak Research Center in collaboration with the Basque Government, has revealed that the constant stress at work It is a reality for more than half of the employees in Spain. That has led many to consider what percentage of their salary would be willing to sacrifice in exchange for a healthier and less demanding work environment.

Intrinsic attributes: the new value of work

The Iseak report, based on more than 5,000 surveys, differentiates labor incentives in two segments:

• Instrumental attributesthat improve the life of employees outside their working hours (salary, stability, occupational risks, conciliation, growth opportunities, etc.).
• Intrinsic attributesthat enrich the work experience during the work day (voice in decisions, enjoy work, self -organization capacity, sense of purpose, etc.)

Therefore, intrinsic attributes refer to non -material conditions, such as having a healthy work environment, the absence of stress or fair treatment and has become a decisive factor for the satisfaction and labor commitment of employees.

56% of Spanish workers claim to be constant In his position, 47% do not believe that their work will be rewarded if they carry it out excellently and only 38% see real promotion possibilities.

Despite these difficulties, the report specifies that “60% of employees believe that their work is interesting, 75% enjoy what they do, and 82% feel that their job gives them a sense of job well done.”

By age range, the report highlights that employees aged 18 to 30 have jobs with lower remuneration and stability (instrumental attributes), but in return “enjoy greater personal growth opportunities and stand out in sense of purposeenjoy, and quality of labor relations “. That is, they enjoy better intrinsic attributes, which contribute to improve their experience in the development of their workday.

The price of stress

The figures provided by the Iseak report are overwhelming: workers would be willing to give up 31% of your salary in exchange for receiving fair treatment from his employer and would sacrifice 21% of his salary to avoid stress, and 17% not to perform painful tasks. In addition, they would reduce 13% of their salary for reducing the journey to work from 40 minutes to 20 and 10% by teleworking.

Gender and educational level differences are also notable. Women are more willing than men to sacrifice salary for intrinsic attributes. People with higher studies Teleworking morethe least physical effort and collaborative environments, although they are less prone to give up a percentage of your salary in exchange for these improvements.

The study reaches these conclusions after showing two employment offers to the respondents in which salary parameters and intrinsic attributes were modified, revealing that participants preferred offers with lower salaries, but better working conditions for their day to day.

He work stress and mental health problems work related to work have doubled in the last three years in Spain. According to the last Mental Health Report of infojobs based on data from the Ministry of Health, 28% of mental health problems In the employed population it is directly related to the work, compared to 13% registered in 2021.

In addition, 42% of workers have experienced symptoms related to mental health in the last year compared to 27% registered in 2021. 64% of these cases are considered medium or high gravity.

Report data reveal that the impact of Stress and mental health In the active population it is not homogeneous and especially affects women already employed between 25 and 44 years.

Younger generations, such as millennials and generation Z, declare having suffered episodes of work stress in greater proportion, with 72% and 62% respectively, compared to 39% of Baby Boomers. Practically half of those affected have resorted to professional help to Manage these problems.

The direct relationship between stress and absenteeism

Iseak establishes in its report a clear relationship between the quality of the work environment, the absence of stress and absenteeism. According to their authors, healthy environments and with an adequate work rate record a significant reduction in the days of labor absence, while factors such as salary or job stability are not so decisive in this aspect.

Labor absenteeism, in fact, It has increased significantly In recent years, in part due to the increase in casualties due to anxiety and depression, which in Spain have grown more than 80% from the pandemic.

The study highlights that the improvement of intrinsic attributes not only increases satisfaction and employee commitment, but also reduces job resistance and the phenomenon of “Silent resignation“, where workers only meet the minimum required.

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