In Finland, time pressure is perceived as the second most common occupational safety risk – prolonged sitting still ranks first in Europe

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and European Agency for Safety and Health at Work press release on 26 March 2025  

The ESENER survey, which is carried out every four years, surveys occupational safety and health risks at workplaces. The latest survey shows that musculoskeletal disorders continue to be the greatest challenge at European workplaces. 

Prolonged sitting is particularly common in office work and specialist fields, where sitting still can cause back and neck problems, and other ergonomic issues. Lifting and moving heavy loads is the third most common occupational safety risk, affecting 52 per cent of European workplaces. This risk factor is particularly significant in the care sector and construction work, where physically heavy tasks can cause back injuries and other stressed states of the musculoskeletal system. 

In Finland, physical risk factors are increasingly accompanied by time pressure experienced at work 

In Finland, repetitive hand or arm movements are seen as the most significant risk factor instead of prolonged sitting. The second most significant risk factor is perceived time pressure at work, and the third one is moving and lifting people or heavy loads. Prolonged sitting came in fourth place.

"Overall, a total of 43 per cent of European workplaces report that rush and tight schedules are a significant risk, but in Finland, the prevalence of this risk has grown more than elsewhere in Europe. In Finland, time pressure ranks second, and as many as 71 per cent of Finnish workplaces responding to the survey consider it a significant risk," says Kirsi Ahola, Director at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. 

The survey also shows that remote work is more common in Finland than in the rest of Europe. In Finland, more than 40 per cent of workplaces report regular remote work, which is significantly more than the EU average (23%). 

"Remote work offers flexibility and reduces traditional stress factors. For example, it may be easier to regulate your own work in remote work than in the office. However, abundant remote work can create new risks, such as blurring of the boundaries between working time and leisure time and employees' experiences of loneliness. Controlling these risks must be taken into account in the management of remote work," Ahola says.  

Further information

• Kirsi Ahola, Docent, Director, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, kirsi.ahola@ttl.fi, tel. +358 (0)30 474 2429 

Information about the survey 

• More than 41,000 organisations from 30 European countries participated in the ESENER (European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks) 2024 survey commissioned by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. A total of 1,510 representatives from Finland responded to the survey. Respondents included persons responsible for organisations' occupational safety and health. The survey provides comprehensive data on occupational safety and health risks in European workplaces and the impact of digitalisation on work life. 
• More information about the ESENER surveys: European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER) results visualisation - Safety and health at work - EU - OSHA
• The full report: First findings of the Fourth European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER 2024) | Safety and health at work EU-OSHA

About the issuer of the press release 

• The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health is the national coordination centre of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) in Finland. We promote the agency’s activities by disseminating European research data to Finnish workplaces. We also provide EU-OSHA with information on the state of Finnish work life and good practices.