Exhibitors who came from Australia and Venezuela, from Mexico and Monaco, nine cavernous exhibition halls; live demonstrations of products - including fires that attendees were invited to extinguish; conversations in many different languages; a corporate fashion show that could rival a Broadway production, and almost – but not quite – an indoor windmill. Clearly, occupational safety and health trade shows are done a little differently in Germany.

Workers with high job demands and job strain are at increased risk of sick leave due to mental disorders, reports a study in the August Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

In May, NIOSH, the American Psychological Association (APA), and the Society for Occupational Health Psychology (SOHP) hosted the 11th International Conference on Occupational Stress and Health. “Work, Stress, and Health 2015: Sustainable Work, Sustainable Health, Sustainable Organizations” marks 25 years of efforts to advance research and intervention on work-related stress through the conference series.

Burnout is a serious problem that is brought on by the negative effects of chronic, work-related stress. Actual statistics are difficult to come by, but studies from the Nordic countries recently indicated that there, the prevalence of severe burnout is between 2-7 %. If these numbers are extrapolated Europe-wide, the problem and its effects on individuals, businesses and the European economy is sobering.

...But, over a period of time, her demeanor changed, and she was not her usual self. Then one day she just disappeared. I eventually found out why, when I was given the chore of writing her termination letter. She had experienced a “nervous breakdown,” I was told.

The issue: At all levels of the organization, Daimler, a motor vehicle manufacturer, has observed an increase in problems related to mental health and increased costs as a result of absenteeism.

EU-OSHA, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, has paid tribute to more than 100 European companies and federations that joined forces with the agency to combat workplace stress.

While stress is a near universal theme in people’s lives, for some, high or chronic stress can take a major toll on the mind and body. To help individuals deal with stress more effectively and to help employers reduce the impact of stress on their business, Aetna has announced the availability of two new mind-body stress reduction workplace programs – Mindfulness at Work™ (mindfulness meditation) and Viniyoga Stress Reduction (therapeutic Viniyoga).