Salzburg workers report rising stress and exhaustion

Stress and exhaustion are affecting more workers in Salzburg, according to the Salzburg Chamber of Labour, which highlighted the trend in a report by ORF Salzburg on World Mental Health Day.

Four in 10 employees frequently experience everyday stress, while more than half regularly feel exhausted, the chamber said. In health and social care, nearly two-thirds of employees know a colleague with burnout. In those professions, 39% report regular verbal abuse and 16% physical attacks, often by patients or their relatives.

The chamber also said 53% of employees are pessimistic about Austria’s social and economic outlook, the highest share since the 2016 refugee crisis.

Chamber of Labour President Peter Eder called for stronger preventive measures, more staff and consistent inspections. The organisation said workplace mental strain should be systematically reduced through transparent staffing models, more workplace inspections and binding penalties for violations.