Recent study reports 20% of Americans say their workplace is hostile or threatening.

AP reports that recent in-depth study of 3,066 U.S. workers by Rand Corp., Harvard Medical School and UCLA concludes the American workplace is grueling, stressful, and surprisingly hostile.

Among the findings:

  • Nearly one in five workers — a share the study calls “disturbingly high” — say they face a hostile or threatening environment at work, which can include sexual harassment and bullying. Workers who have to face customers endure a disproportionate share of abuse.
  • Nearly 55% say they face “unpleasant and potentially hazardous” conditions.
  • Nearly three quarters say they spend at least a fourth of their time on the job in “intense or repetitive physical” labor.
    • Interesting comment by lead author Nicole Maestas: “I was surprised at how physically demanding jobs were.”
  • Telecommuting is rare: 78% say they are required to be present in their workplace during working hours.
  • Only 38% say their jobs offer good prospects for advancement. And the older they get, the less optimistic they become.
  • About half say they work on their own time to meet the demands of their job.
    • Work “is a pretty taxing place for many people,” Maestas said. “I was surprised by how pressured and hectic the workplace is.”

(Editor’s Note: We were surprised that the “lead author” was surprised by the physical demands, level of pressure, and frantic pace of today’s workplace.) 

In many cases, less-educated workers endure tougher working conditions. For example, fewer than half of men without college degrees can take a break whenever they want, compared with more than 76% of men with college degrees. Likewise, nearly 68% of men without degrees spend at least a fourth of their time moving heavy loads.

Maestas wonders whether toxic working conditions are keeping Americans out of the labor force. With the unemployment rate is at a 16-year low, and many employers complaining they can’t fill jobs, Maestas concludes, “There’s a message for employers here. Working conditions really do matter.”

Not everything about American workplaces is grim. Workers enjoy considerable autonomy: More than 80% say they get to solve problems and try out their own ideas. Moreover, 58% say their bosses are supportive, and 56% say they have good friends at work.

Source: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-work-conditions-20170814-story.html