Is joint regulation of work the key to reducing work-related stress?

The Guardian on Fridays writes about chronic work-related stress and a heightened propensity for workers to develop heart disease and/or diabetes.

The study referred to in the article looked at the stress levels reported by more than 10,000 civil servants, aged 35 to 55, in 20 government departments in London.

The researchers found that those who most often reported stress were most likely to have a set of risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, which include abdominal obesity, raised cholesterol and high blood pressure, known as metabolic syndrome.

Biology, gender and wider social factors aside, it would appear that the most noteworthy work-related factor is the extent to which employees are in control of their work - and this means either as a result of a pace that cannot be sustained to a chronic under use of employee skills and capabilities. My only conclusion, certainly from a work-related perspective, is to call for work to be more tightly regulated by both employer and employee. In most cases this would require the use of a trade union.

See Heart disease and diabetes linked to stress in the office by Sarah Boseley for more details.