Irish workers are the most stress free in Europe.
These are among the more surprising findings of the Third European Survey of Working Conditions in the European Union carried out last year. The survey was carried out by the Dublin-based European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. Its research manager, Mr Pascal Paoli, believes shorter working weeks are not necessarily a good thing. The extra stress is caused by factors as varied as flexi-working, job insecurity and increasing levels of harassment and violence in the workplace. Underlying it all is the increasing pace of life.