Fatigue at work affects a large number of employees around the world. It is the third most-reported health problem in Europe, and more than one in five workers in the US say they feel tired at work. Yet, in addition to affecting people’s quality of life and weakening their immune system, fatigue at work also entails major costs. In the US alone, the cost of loss of productivity and health-care related to fatigue at work is estimated at $136.4 billion per year!
While all employees are likely to feel tired at some point, the issue of fatigue at work may not come up until after a major accident. Considering its profound impact on employees and on organizations, is it possible to identify and prevent fatigue at work before a serious incident happens?
With this in mind, we were interested in the study of Techera and colleagues, published in 2016, which aims to better understand the phenomenon of fatigue at work, examine its effects on workers’ health and highlight its leading causes.
Legend : Recommendation of our expert
Expert adviser:
- PHILIPPE ZAWIEJA, Ph. D., research associate, Équipe sur les organisations en santé (ÉOS)
Authors:
- PATRICE DANEAU, research assistant, Université de Sherbrooke
ÉTIENNE FOUQUET, research assistant, Université de Sherbrooke
JOSÉE CHARBONNEAU, research assistant, Université de Sherbrooke
This initiative was made possible through a collaboration with the Université de Sherbrooke.
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY:
Fatigue at work
In this study, fatigue at work refers to a feeling of weariness or exhaustion of mental or physical strength felt by an employee who is subject to major demands or stress factors. It therefore leads to a reduced ability to carry out work activities at the desired level. Fatigue can be physical or mental.
- It is a matter of physical fatigue when there is a reduction in the physical ability needed to exert strength or do a task.
- Mental fatigue, meanwhile, is related to a decrease in motivation to do an activity or in the ability to deal with information and react to it.
- When it is difficult, or even impossible, to separate physical fatigue from mental fatigue, the term general fatigue is used.
- Fatigue at work can also be categorized based on how long the effects last. It is then a question of acute fatigue or chronic fatigue.
Note from our expert
The term “fatigue at work” is preferable to “occupational fatigue” due to the causes of fatigue, which can be caused not only by the job, but by factors outside work. In the end, it’s about managing the employee’s fatigue in the workplace.
Acute fatigue
Acute fatigue is a normal response to adverse conditions (e.g. mental or physical effort, emotional stress, insufficient recovery, temporary illness) that affects healthy people and has short-term effects. It can be relieved by rest, quality sleep, an appropriate diet, and exercise. In most workplaces, acute fatigue is the main concern when it comes to fatigue; that is the form discussed here.
Chronic fatigue
The symptoms of chronic fatigue are similar to those of acute fatigue, but are ongoing and last longer. Although it is still difficult to understand the causes, chronic fatigue can occur if acute fatigue is not relieved and at times follows a serious illness (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes) or medical treatments (e.g. chemotherapy). Unlike acute fatigue, chronic fatigue cannot be relieved by rest.
Complete reference
Techera, U., Hallowell, M., Stambaugh, N., & Littlejohn, R. (2016). Causes and consequences of occupational fatigue: Meta-analysis and systems model. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine, 58(10), 961-973.
Method
Meta-analysis
A method that allows researchers to bring together a certain number of quantitative studies to quantify the overall result and produce a single measurement estimate.[3]
- Criteria for study inclusion:
- Establish a clear relationship between a cause and fatigue or between fatigue and its result;
- Involve a sample of workers who are in good health, are between 18 and 65 years of age, and represent the active population;
- Include the measurement of a causal relationship (effect size) or enough information to calculate one;
- Involve at least 5 participants in the sample.
- Targeted journals: workplace health and safety, applied and cognitive psychology, medicine, engineering, neurosciences.
- Results: Among the 105 studies that report empirical data, 23 respect the four inclusion criteria; among these, the researchers discovered 9 causes and 5 consequences of fatigue at work.
Analysis based on a systematic approach
The 9 causes and 5 consequences of fatigue at work are presented based on a systematic model: that is, they affect each other and cannot be considered in isolation.
WHAT DO THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY TELL US?
The authors highlight five effects of fatigue at work. Although fatigue at work can be characterized more specifically based on its symptoms (physical or mental), the latter are often considered from a general perspective that encompasses both physical and mental fatigue.
5 main effects of fatigue at work
1. Mood disturbances
- In general, fatigue at work can cause mood disturbances in the short term. Primarily associated with short-term emotions and feelings, mood is revealed in particular by psychological stress, anger, power, sadness or anxiety. In some cases, fatigue at work can lead to depression.
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