Knowledge workers in Japan and Spain are most likely to have unhealthy relationship with work, study finds

Sometimes, work can be make or break for an employee’s well-being. According to new research, the majority of global knowledge workers don’t have a healthy relationship with their jobs, and it’s having a real impact.

Where in the world? This is an everywhere problem, according to HP’s first Work Relationship Index. The study found that just 27% of global knowledge workers have a healthy relationship with work, according to around 15,600 workers in 12 countries that HP surveyed between June and July 2023.

The report found that knowledge workers in emerging economies like India, Indonesia, and Brazil were more likely to report having better relationships with work, with those in India having the best relationship with work at 50%. In contrast, just 5% of workers in Japan and 20% in Spain said their relationship with work is healthy.

No matter where employees are based, they’re likely to take a reduced salary if it means having a better relationship with their jobs. Even though workers in India, Brazil, and Indonesia have the healthiest relationships with work, they’re more likely to leave their job for a better one than workers in the US or UK.

The survey also found that having an unhealthy relationship with work can have a real effect on employee health. Some 62% of respondents said an unhealthy relationship with work has impacted their physical health (such as weight gain and sleep loss), while 55% said it has impacted their mental well-being. Workers in Australia reported the highest impacts on their physical (69%) and mental (65%) health, and even 56% of workers in India who have a negative relationship with their job say their physical health has been affected.

“There is a huge opportunity to strengthen the world’s relationship with work in ways that are both good for people and good for business,” Enrique Lores, president and CEO of HP, said in a press release. “As leaders, we must always reject the false choice between productivity and happiness. The most successful companies are built on cultures that enable employees to excel in their careers while thriving outside of work.”