Being stressed out at work is just as bad as regularly being exposed to second-hand smoke, a new study by researchers at Harvard Business School and Stanford University finds.
Using data from 228 other studies that assessed the effects of 10 workplace stressors on employee physical and mental health, morbidity, and mortality, researchers concluded that workers who faced a great deal of stress on the job were 35% more likely to be diagnosed with an illness by a doctor. People who worked long hours were found to have a 20% increased chance of early death. Potential stressors included work-family conflict, job insecurity, high job demands, no health insurance, long work hours, and low organizational control.