In the most recent report about this subject (published in 2009) , the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work showed that stress effects around 22% of the workforce in EU, and further shows a tendency towards an increase in work-related stress. The report also showed high levels of stress in the health and education sectors, and identified the following countries having the highest levels of stress: Slovenia, Greece, Lithuania (with more th an 50% of workers having stress).

Additionally, it was observed that even in countries with stress levels below the one of European average, namely the UK, Czech Republic, and the Netherlands over 20% of workers showed signs of work-related stress. Countries like Portugal are positioned in the European average with 34% of workers reporting stress.

Consistent with these results, the study published by the European Trade Union Committee for Education shows that the primary factors causing stress among educators include the following: quantity and work intensity, demands of the educator, a high numbers of students per class, bad behaviour from the students, inadequate support from the management, lack of resources in the institutions, negative atmosphere, and low social status of educators.

Additionally, other stress factors that were identified are the following: burnout, depression and emotional difficulties, high absence, insomnia, symptoms of and sickness cardiovascular, personal conflicts and problems, migraines, gastrointestinal disorders…

¹European Agency for Safey and Health at Work (2009). OSH in figures: stress at work – facts and figures. European Commuinities.

²Henrik Billehøj (2007) ETUCE-CSEE Report on the ETUCE Survey on Teachers’ Work-related Stress.