Almost every second employee in Bavaria regularly experiences the fact that the workforce is far too thin anyway or that vacancies are not filled – with often serious consequences for their own health. “More than half of the employees are completely exhausted, many suffer from complaints such as headaches,” says the current health report from the health insurance company DAK Bayern. The vast majority of employees with too few colleagues also drag themselves to work sick.
In the representative survey, 45 percent of the local employees stated that they regularly experience a shortage of staff at work; only 13 percent did not have this situation at all in the past year. Those affected are therefore under strong deadline and performance pressure, work overtime and miss breaks. “The workload increases very sharply with the intensity of the lack of staff experienced,” says the study “Health Risk of Shortage of Staff”.
Those affected often cannot switch off in their free time either, do without sport and find little time for hobbies, family and friends. As a result, according to the study, a good half of them are constantly tired and exhausted. About a third have back pain or other musculoskeletal disorders, and a similar number have sleep disorders. One in five suffers from headaches. In the case of occupational groups that are particularly affected, the sick leave rate is significantly higher than the national average.
“Many employees also reduce their working hours in order to be able to withstand the pressure, and thereby exacerbate the shortage of staff. This threatens a vicious circle,” warned the DAK state manager Sophie Schwab. According to the survey, six percent have already done so, and one in five of the rest is considering working less – especially in those occupational groups that are particularly affected by the shortage of staff. Others affected went into “internal resignation” and only did work to rule.
At the same time, the data show that employees go to work sick more often the more severe the shortage of staff is. Where there is a regular shortage of staff, 68 percent of the workforce has turned up sick at work within the past twelve months. In workforces without experienced staff shortages, this only applies to 38 percent.
The report, for which, in addition to the representative survey, the data of 345,000 employed persons insured by the DAK were evaluated, also shows that the occupational groups with the largest gaps in skilled workers have a sick leave rate that is up to two percentage points higher than the average for the occupations in Bavaria. For example, vehicle drivers, which includes truck drivers as well as train drivers and pilots, had an average of seven out of 100 employees who were sick every day. In vehicle technology, the sickness rate was 6.6 percent. On average, 6.3 percent were indisposed in building and supply technology and in geriatric care.
Comprehensive company health management could help, emphasized the cash register. However, not in the way it used to be understood – as a collection of individual measures such as a fruit basket or back exercises. Concepts of organizational development and work organization with healthy personnel management, time management, mixed-age teams and acceptance of diversity are necessary.