More long weekends like July Fourth: The cure for America’s stress epidemic | Opinion

While millions of Americans enjoyed a respite from their daily grind during the long Fourth of July holiday weekend, several new studies suggest that such breaks are more necessary than ever. The reason: work-related stress is growing at alarming rates, causing all kinds of mental and physical problems.

A new Gallup poll of 128,278 people around the world shows that 41% of the people say they felt “a lot of stress” during the previous 24 hours, up from 31% when the firm started asking this question in 2009.

In the United States and Canada, 49% of the people say they feel “a lot” of stress, a much higher percentage than the world average, according to the polling firm’s recently released “State of the Global Workforce 2024” report. In Latin America, 44% of the people feel high levels of stress, and in Europe — where people tend to have longer vacations — it’s 37%.

Last year, an American Psychological Association study revealed that a record 79% of employees included in its survey of 1,501 people had experienced work-related stress over the previous month. A majority of those interviewed said stress and anxiety were causing them to lose interest in their jobs, and 44% reported suffering physical fatigue.

Another recent study of a sample of more than 300,000 Americans who are seeking mental health assistance by ComPsych reported “a dramatic increase in anxiety among American workers. Not only are employees facing more demands at work, but the lingering impact of the pandemic, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and growing political polarization as we approach the November elections are raising people’s anxiety levels,” it said.

Ilana Ron-Levey, Gallup’s managing director, told me that many people don’t feel a sense of connection with their work places, and that translates into a decline of their general well-being.

“Disconnection from communities, from friends, from employers is expanding,” Ron-Levey told me. “Employees who don’t feel they’re emotionally connected with their workplace are more likely to be stressed and experience negative emotions such as anger, worry, stress, and even physical pain.”

Young people are reporting a steeper decline of well-being, or overall happiness, than older ones, the Gallup study says. The number of people aged under 35 who said they are thriving in their jobs dropped from 35% to 31% over the past year. Comparatively, the number of those aged over 36 who said they are thriving remained almost unchanged at 36%.

“We really have a mental health crisis that is affecting particularly those under 35,” Ron-Levey said. “The COVID pandemic really changed their lives. The depth of community engagement and connection with friends, with schools, and the way they interact with technology has really changed their emotional health.”

Researchers agree that one of the key ways of improving employee satisfaction and reducing work-related stress is to give workers a sense of purpose in their jobs, and show them that their companies have a higher mission than just making money.

You don’t need to work at a solar panel factory or a social impact organization to feel a sense of purpose. Even a widget manufacturing firm can show its workers that it helps build safer schools and hospitals, prevents accidents and makes the world a safer place, researchers say.

Just as importantly, increasingly more countries and companies are adopting four-day work weeks or flexible hours to help reduce workers’ stress. Belgium officially adopted a shorter workweek in 2022, while the United Arab Emirates, Iceland, Japan, Spain, France and South Africa have embraced or are experimenting with various versions of a shortened work week.

While a few countries, like Greece, are going in the opposite direction and officially endorsing a six-day week, the trend is definitely toward fewer working days. It started informally with growing numbers of companies allowing employees to leave earlier on Fridays, and it increased exponentially after the pandemic.

Already, 30% of big U.S. companies are experimenting with four or four-and-a-half-day weeks, according to a recent KPMG consulting firm poll of CEOs.

And, judging from what I found while researching my most recent book on the future of work and employee happiness, artificial intelligence will speed up the trend toward shorter work weeks by automating routine tasks in many industries. Companies will be able to allow employees to work fewer days without suffering productivity losses.

It’s clear that companies must tackle the record levels of work-related stress, whether it’s with the help of AI, a greater emphasis on a sense of purpose, or by creating a friendlier atmosphere at work. The alternative will be higher health costs, less energized employees, and a rise in unhappiness

Don’t miss the “Oppenheimer Presenta” TV show on Sundays at 9 pm E.T. on CNN en Español. Blog: andresoppenheimer.com