CBS study reveals which professions experience the highest level of pressure in the Netherlands

By Kiri Scully

According to a workforce study conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics  (CBS) in the Netherlands, chefs deal with the greatest level of pressure at work followed by doctors, lawyers, managers in business and administrative services and primary school teachers.   

The study

To determine the level of workload experienced by employees, CBS conducted a survey asking participants from the most common occupations that had at least 50.000 employees, if they had a lot of work, how fast they had to complete it, and if felt the level of their work was more difficult than average.

The study found a correlation between all three categories indicating that those who had a high workload also had to work the fastest and tackle the most difficult tasks.

The pressure varies

The nature of the pressure, however, varies depending on each occupation. Chefs, for example, have to work fast to get orders out on the tables, whereas doctors, lawyers, business managers and administrators, as well as primary school teachers, have to complete a larger amount of work within the same time frame.
 

Most pressured workers

Least pressured workers

 

Furthermore, primary school teachers and doctors claimed that their work was emotionally demanding. Doctors, for instance, added that they have to work long hours and are sometimes harassed by patients after hours, whereas lawyers claim they spend too long behind a screen.

Low-pressure jobs

The study also mapped out which occupations experienced the least amount of pressure at work. These included security personnel, car and taxi drivers, gardeners, cashiers and teacher and child-care assistants.

 

 

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Kiri Scully
Raised a global citizen, to an Irish father and American mother, Kiri has lived and worked in five countries over three continents. Fuelled by culture curiosity at an early age, Kiri chose to study Anthropology and Media Communications at Goldsmiths College, University of London, before delving into the world of journalism. Read more

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