A new study has revealed the impact different industries have on the health and wellbeing of those working in them, highlighting the best and worst careers for worker wellbeing.
The research, conducted by Phoenix Health & Safety, looked at how different industries affected the physical and mental health of workers, as well as how workers felt their job impacted their social life.
Based on the findings, ‘science & technology’ is the best industry for workplace wellbeing, with workers experiencing the fewest negative impacts on their wellbeing, compared to other industries. The ‘arts, entertainment & recreation’ industry meanwhile is most likely to negatively impact the wellbeing of those working in it.
Workers in the ‘science & technology’ sector reported the lowest amount of work related injuries, as well as having the least impact on social or family life, with under a third (32%) of people saying their job impacted their social life.
‘Public administration & defence’ ranked joint second with ‘Agriculture, forestry & fishing’. Those employed in public administration also reported low levels of work-related injury and impact on their family life, being second only to ‘science & technology’ in these areas. Interestingly, however, workers in this industry were among the most likely to report work related ill health.
Those working in ‘agriculture, forestry & fishing’ meanwhile, were the least likely to report work related ill health, and were the second least likely to report mental health problems due to work, with only 28% saying they’d experienced stress or anxiety due to their career.
The best industries to work in for your wellbeing: Ranked best to worst
- Science & technology
- Public administration & defence
- Agriculture, forestry & fishing
- Wholesale retail & trade
- Finance & insurance
- Manufacturing
- Education
- Administrative & support services
- Construction
- Electricity, gas, steam & air conditioning supply
- Information & communication
- Healthcare & social work
- Accommodation & food services
- Arts, recreation & entertainment
At the opposite end of the scale, whilst the ‘arts, recreation & entertainment’ industry ranked as average in terms of the impact on the physical health of people working in it, it had the 3rd biggest impact on mental health, and the 2nd most disruption to social life. Over half (56%) of people working in the industry said they had experienced stress and anxiety due to work, whilst 53% said their work impacted their social or family life.
Across all industries, more than two in five (43%) of people said they experienced stress or anxiety due to work, whilst 36% said work related stress had impacted on their physical health, and over a quarter (28%) had sought professional help.
When it comes to impact on social life, a third (33%) of people said they had missed important family or social events due to their work, and over a quarter (27%) stated that their work had caused tension between themselves and their family or friends.
Commenting on the research, Donna-Marie Kendrick, People Manager expert at Phoenix Health & Safety, says: “With our jobs taking up such a large portion of our lives, it’s important that our work impacts as little as possible on our overall health and wellbeing.
“Whilst certain industries may be more likely to infringe on your social life, pose unavoidable physical hazards, or be particularly stressful, it’s important that workers in those careers have the necessary measures in place to prevent these risks from having an oversized impact on their wellbeing. This includes having access to mental health resources, and following health and safety guidance strictly to minimise physical risk of injury.
“If you are finding that you’re experiencing levels of stress or anxiety which are difficult for you to manage, or if your work is having an unnecessarily large impact on your social life, it’s advisable to discuss your situation with your employer in order to attempt to improve it.”
For more information about Phoenix Health & Safety, visit: https://www.phoenixhsc.co.uk/
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