When talking about healthy working, a misunderstanding often arises:
Healthy working is equated with reduction: fewer hours, slower pace, less responsibility.
In practice, however, the picture is different: stress rarely arises from too much work, but rather from unclear, poorly designed tasks, little recognition, or a scope of action that does not match the level of responsibility.
A look at everyday working life makes this clear.
Performance is often measured in hours, not in content
In many organizations, the more time spent, the better the performance.
Because time is easy to measure, it often becomes the benchmark for performance. But this is misleading. If results are not clearly defined or can only be evaluated long after the work has been done, a vacuum is created. Employees try to fill this vacuum by investing more time and energy, often without any guidance as to whether they are working on the right things.
Typical examples are:
- Development projects with long lead times
- Building customer relationships
- Marketing or strategy work whose effects only become visible months later
In such contexts, time often replaces the lack of content-related guidance.
Here, new metrics can be found to measure progress, quality, or impact. For example: have all risks been considered and addressed, how high is the contribution to the long-term corporate strategy, or how reusable is the solution or approach?
Long-term study shows: high workload costs health and performance
A long-term study by the German Center for Occupational Medicine analyzed stress factors in the workplace over a period of ten years, including work pressure, overtime, and psychological stress such as stress and burnout. The results clearly show:
- People who have been under high stress for many years have higher rates of illness, both physical and mental.
- Their performance declines in the long term, both physically and cognitively.
- Companies experience higher turnover, knowledge loss, and rising recruitment costs.
These findings reinforce what is also evident in practice: more time does not necessarily mean better work. This is not about short-term peaks in stress.
The fact that an event manager is under a lot of pressure before an event is usually manageable if recovery is possible afterwards. It becomes critical when stress becomes a permanent condition.
Here, it is necessary for everyone to reflect on their own situation first, and then for the circles of reflection to become larger. In other words, from the individual to the team to the department and so on, until you have a picture of the company itself. Then concrete changes can be worked on. These could be common priorities, or they could also relate to very personal goals and expectations. Transparency in communication is key here.
The first symptoms of an organization are often visible too late or too vaguely
Many organizations only take action when symptoms become visible: burnout, absenteeism, overload. This is also evident in the study by Morgen & Morgan, which shows that the most common cause (35.75%) of occupational disability is mental illness.
But this is exactly where prevention comes in. In addition to the two structural issues mentioned above, it also addresses personal limits, goals, and motivators.
Prevention can be seen as a form of insurance. I take it out without knowing for sure that I will need it. But unlike insurance, it definitely has a positive effect.
Practiced structures have a stronger impact than any measure
Healthy working practices rarely fail due to a lack of knowledge, but rather due to unspoken expectations. If managers work long hours, are constantly available, or delay decisions, this becomes the norm, regardless of what HR or internal mission statements dictate. People are guided by what they experience, not by what is officially communicated.
It is not visions, mission statements, or guidelines that are decisive here, but the behavior of colleagues and superiors in the environment. From this, we conclude what behavior is appropriate. This applies to overtime, as well as to many other behaviors, including those that reduce stress and make us more resilient.
Clear goals, transparent communication, and consistent role modeling are some of the key factors here.
Working healthily means working effectively
Working healthily does not mean performing less well.
It means performing more clearly, effectively, and sustainably.
Where work is well organized, performance is achieved not despite healthy working practices, but because of them.
And often, change does not begin with new programs, but with a simple question: How do we actually recognize good work?
