The quality of working conditions in Belgium has been rapidly deteriorating in recent years, according to revealing research carried out by several Belgian universities.
The results of the research were commissioned by the Federal Public Service Employment Service (FPS), and showed a deterioration of labour conditions in general, as well as in the health of workers compared to the previous survey, carried out in 2015. These remain the main problems faced by the majority of workers across all sectors of activity.
"Regarding workers' health, we observe a deterioration for almost all the characteristics studied. The number of workers saying that work has a (negative) impact on their health has increased," the report published on Tuesday read.
The FPS explained that an analysis of job quality is necessary, as high-quality jobs in Belgium "could attract more skilled workers, leading to higher productivity and economic growth."
It added that high-quality jobs can provide financial security and stability for individuals and families, improving their overall quality of life. "This could increase workers' job satisfaction and motivation, in turn having a positive impact on overall productivity at work."
Psychological and physical complaints
Of the 4,000 workers interviewed, 51% of respondents said they had experienced back pain in the last 12 months, while 56% complained of neck, shoulder or muscle pain, linked to working in "tiring positions." Almost half experienced headaches and/or eye strain.
Meanwhile, the scores of four in five indicators of psychological well-being decreased. Four in five workers said they were energetic and motivated at work, but some 7% of respondents said they rarely or never felt good at work in the previous two weeks.
Out of all respondents who felt exhausted at work, about a third (32%) said they felt physically exhausted at the end of the working day, and about 15% (14.7%) felt emotionally drained by their work.
Overall, physical and psychological pain is more prevalent among workers under 55. According to researchers, this could mean that people who were suffering left the labour market early and are therefore no longer in it after the age of 55.
Almost 10% of respondents experienced harassment or bullying in the past year, up from 3% six years ago.
However, the quality of employment, referring to contracts and prospects of being promoted within a company, is improving. "The number of permanent contracts and career opportunities increased," researchers noted.
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They also found an improvement in participation and especially a marked increase in representation.
Based on these findings, researchers classified workers according to the quality of their working conditions: 38% feel they are in a "good quality" job; while 24% indicated they are in a "poor quality job." The remaining workers are equally divided into finding themselves in "balanced jobs" and "jobs with little autonomy in working methods."
