Don’t work yourself out of a job

THE lingering economic crisis has triggered a mass exodus of young talent from Spain. There are few jobs to be found and morale amongst jobseekers in general, is low. 

But just because a person has a job doesn’t necessarily mean they’re sitting pretty. According to a new report from the UK, workers are more stressed, more under pressure and more worried about keeping their job than at any time recorded in the past 25 years. 

The report reveals that 40 per cent of workers say they are required to work at very high speeds for at least three-quarters of their working life. Nearly 60 per cent said they work under the pressure of tight deadlines for the vast majority of their working day. One in four workers are reported to be afraid of losing their job and becoming unemployed. 

And the culprit for such a demanding working life isn’t just a pushy boss, but technology too. 

Any employee with a smartphone can be contacted by email or called at any time, whether or not they have just left the office, are on holiday, are playing sport or asleep.

Also, witnessing job losses within a company sends a shiver of fear up the spines of remaining employees, who may then be pressurised into working overly long-and-hard hours just to prove to the boss that they are worth holding onto. It’s a cause and effect that can be detrimental to the health of a business and that of an individual. 

Working excessively long hours can lead to stress and ill health, which in turn means absenteeism from work. People who work ridiculously long hours are also more prone to making errors. And the irony is that even though a person is trying hard to hold on to their job, by making silly errors because of exhaustion, they are giving their boss an excuse to sack them!

Be grateful you have a job, but not so much so that it causes you stress and ill health. Take a deep breath, work hard and to the standard expected of you, and that should be enough to secure your place in the working world.