Are work-related stress and burnout related with Sustainable Development?
Work related stress and burnout are becoming an increasing problem in our society nowadays for a variety of reasons. High levels of stress, particularly in the workplace, are detrimental from an economic and social point of view in terms of efficiency at work, health care systems and quality of life and wellbeing of workers.
Sustainable Development defined by United Nations as a response to “the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs”, requires the integration of not only environmental or economic aspects but of social issues as well to be balanced in the long term. The contribution of a wide variety of stakeholders to sustainable development is needed and companies have been invited and asked to participate in achieving the sustainable development agenda proposed by United Nations as has happened with the promulgation of the 2030 Agenda where 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) have been proposed.
Within this 2030 agenda and among all the 17 SDG, we can find that issues related with mental health, stress, work conditions, etc. have a prominent place in some of this SDG and its specific targets, for instance, SDG 3 Good Health and Wellbeing, in target 3.4, states that by 2030 it is necessary to increase the prevention, treatment and promotion of mental health and well-being. In SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, we can find target 8.8 that stablishes the need to protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers.
StressOut Project, will develop tools and a training program to help companies, not only to define or align their Human Resources Strategies and Plans for preventing and managing work-related stress and burnout issues of their workers, but helping companies to align their Human Resources activities with their participation in the achievement of the SDGs from the management of social impacts related to the improvement of the well-being of their workers.
