Employees aged 25-34 frequently struggle with lack of motivation at work as well as poor mood and wellbeing. This was concluded from a study by the Association of Safety at Work Coalition (Stowarzyszenie Koalicja Bezpieczni w Pracy) titled “Workplace Safety in Poland 2024. Exhausted like a Pole at work: causes, effects and consequences”. At the same time, the youngest respondents, up to 24 years of age, emphasize their strong need for psychological services.
All age groups experience exhaustion at work, but it is most commonly complained about by young people. Employees aged 25-34 experience mental exhaustion at work (53%) more often than others. Physical exhaustion is strongest among people aged 18-24 (49%). Among people up to 34 years of age, the most common causes of fatigue are monotony at work, repetitiveness, too many tasks and obligations, and excessive stress.
– The reason for these surprising results could be that these are people who are just developing their careers, and in today’s dynamic environment, this development may seem too slow and cause frustration. Perhaps the beginning of a professional career is associated with significant mental costs related to proving one’s worth and aspirations for promotion. The explanation for physical exhaustion could be the phase in which the youngest age group finds themselves, doing mostly casual manual work, – explains Elżbieta Rogowska, Vice President of the Safe in Work Coalition Association and Vice-President for Operations at PW Krystian.
Even a Short Break Helps
In the face of fatigue, employees most often act individually. Employees up to 24 years old mainly take care of the frequency of short breaks at work (48%), whereas people between 25 and 34 do this considerably less often (35%).
– The fact that employees, who least organize their work breaks, feel the greatest mental fatigue, testifies to the role even a short break plays. According to the Labor Code, every employee who works at least 6 hours has the right to at least a 15-minute break. What’s more, an employee who works at a computer can take 5-minute breaks after each hour of work – says Ewa Gawrysiak, expert of the Safe in Work Coalition, Regional Manager CEE at TenCate Protective Fabrics.
The Role of the Employer in Fighting Fatigue
Employees up to 34 years old when asked about the most effective actions taken by the employer, pointed primarily to the need for even distribution of duties and avoiding overloading employees with too much work (78%), as well as additional breaks at work (75%).
Among different age groups, the biggest differences can be noticed in access to psychological services, which are supported by the youngest employees between 18 and 24 (27%).
Employers should consider how to adjust the pace and workload to the level of experience and abilities of the employee who is adapting to the professional environment, and how to provide support in line with needs.
The study for the report was conducted between 02.07 and 09.07 2024 by SW RESEARCH Market and Opinion Research Agency. Telephone interviews (CATI) were conducted with employer representatives (N=200). The group of employees (N=1034) consists of people who are not in management positions. Online interviews (CAWI) were conducted with employees.
Source: https://managerplus.pl/zmeczony-jak-polak-mlodzi-pracownicy-najczesciej-odczuwaja-brak-motywacji-i-psychiczne-obciazenie-w-pracy-83489
