A survey of two thousand executives from four continents, including Latin America, showed the expansion of a phenomenon of chronic stress and work overload, which is characterized by a deep perception of exhaustion and lower performance at work. The WHO classifies it as an occupational risk factor.
Although the country with the most hours worked in Latin America is Colombia, there is a consensus regarding the long working hours of Mexicans as a general problem.
The trend of requesting expert panels within the T-MEC for Mexican workers has been gaining strength in the last two years.
But there are highly worrying data, which go further: when celebrating the International Day Against Human Trafficking this week, it has become clear that labor exploitation is the third most recurrent human trafficking crime in that country.
Recently, Mexico recognized that long working hours are part of these abuses and the latest reform to the Human Trafficking Law confirmed that these crimes are not only limited to sexual exploitation or forced labor, they also cover a universe of situations in which work context that has to do with physical, psychological and emotional abuse and mistreatment.
"Trafficking involves obtaining a benefit from a person subjected to this situation, either by commercializing the person or exploiting their labor. This generates an economic benefit for the exploiter, while the exploited person does not receive the same benefit and suffers both physically and emotionally,” Cinthya Susana Acosta Ugalde, coordinator of the Internal Commission for Gender Equality of the Faculty of Higher Studies (FES) Acatlán, explained in El Economista .
The reform of the General Law to Prevent, Punish and Eradicate crimes related to Human Trafficking recognized for the first time that the extension of working hours above the limits established in the Federal Labor Law (LFT) can also be considered. as a crime of labor exploitation.
Before this change, this crime was only defined when working in unhealthy conditions without protection or application of any regulations, for receiving a payment disproportionately lower than the workload or for remuneration below the minimum wage.
“The current reform seeks to limit these hours and improve the organization of work in our country, where productivity does not always correspond to the number of hours worked,” mentions the FES academic.
The sectors most vulnerable to trafficking in Mexico, based on official information and studies, are construction and mining, agriculture, restaurants and bars with the sale of alcohol, and domestic services.
According to figures from the Citizen Council for Security and Justice of Mexico City, labor exploitation is present in the country's capital, the State of Mexico, Coahuila, Guanajuato, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Sonora and Veracruz.
For companies to ensure that they do not indirectly contribute to human trafficking through labor practices, they must always be supported by well-structured employment contracts that clearly detail working conditions, including hours and training, as established by the LFT.
“It is crucial to foster a work culture that values well-being at work, not just the number of hours worked. Transparency and adherence to the law are essential to minimize risks and guarantee fair working conditions,” says Acosta Ugalde.
EXECUTIVES UNDER PRESSURE
On the other side, business executives are also working in increasingly stressful environments.
In the global report “Closing the executive gap”, by the human resources firm LHH Recruitment Solutions, it was determined that throughout the world senior managers are exposed to a phenomenon of work overload and exhaustion called “executive burnout”.
Using data from developed countries but also from Latin America, it turns out that 52% of executives say they are overworked and exhausted.
“These results reveal widespread concern globally regarding burnout within leadership teams, with more than half expressing concern. The need to address burnout becomes a critical imperative to maintain effective leadership and organizational resilience,” says Marcelo Aravena, CEO of LHH Recruitment Solutions Chile .
In turn, the report reveals that 60% of executives would like to have more support options to face their internal and external challenges, which include resource allocation, retaining and finding talent, economic uncertainties, competition market and regulatory compliance.
“Executives express a strong desire for a more comprehensive set of professional support options. Individualized support mechanisms, particularly those aimed at improving decision-making capabilities, such as mentoring and peer coaching, are identified as the most requested forms of assistance,” comments Aravena.
“Decision making emerges as a central point of concern, which reflects the fundamental role it plays in leading organizations in turbulent times,” added Aravena, who stressed that senior managers demand support mechanisms aimed at improving this capacity. , including mentoring and coaching services, training, leadership and performance assessments, and technology training.
The report's findings establish that the five main areas of improvement at this point are strategic thinking capacity, ethical decision making, knowledge of digital technologies, change management and creative problem solving. From LHH they conclude that strengthening competencies in these five areas is essential “to guide organizations in turbulent times”, characterized by executive transitions and promotion to new responsibilities.
“In the contemporary business context, senior executives face complex challenges that require a comprehensive approach and a vision for the future. To successfully navigate this dynamic, it is essential to address technological challenges, combat burnout, strengthen decision-making capabilities and invest in comprehensive professional support and succession planning mechanisms which will be essential to navigate the intricate dynamics of leadership in 2024 and beyond,” said Marcelo Aravena.
ILO BURNOUT ALERT
Burnout syndrome is a consequence of stress, declared in 2000 by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an occupational risk factor due to its capacity to affect quality of life, mental health and even threaten the survival of people. people.
It is defined as an inadequate way of managing chronic stress, which causes lower personal performance.
According to data from Statista and Bumeran, in 2023, 48% of employees in Latin America (LATAM) experienced extreme fatigue, cynicism in relation to work and a decrease in their effectiveness and productivity, recognized symptoms of the also called burnout syndrome.
“This condition not only affects the psychosocial health of employees, but also leads to a decrease in their productivity, an increase in work absenteeism and greater staff turnover. The combination of these factors represents a significant cost for companies, regardless of whether their employees work in person, hybrid or from home,” explains Yunue Cárdenas, Coordinator of the Psychology HUB at Affor Health , a company specialized in managing and improving health. psychosocial of people in organizations.
He adds that “experience has shown us that the associated price for organizations can include everything from high medical expenses to high talent turnover.” So much so that, for 46% of Latin American employees consulted by Statista and Bumeran, changing jobs is a possible option to combat Burnout.
Each year, the global economy loses nearly $1 trillion a year in productivity due to depression and anxiety, disorders related to Burnout. In addition, losses associated with mental health are estimated to be US$16.1 trillion between 2011 and 2031, according to the WHO.
VIOLENCE AT WORK
Another factor of work stress is the violence that is experienced or exercised at work.
In Chile, a recent survey detected that 6 out of every 10 working people live or experienced a situation of symbolic violence at work.
The data is part of the study Symbolic violence in the world of work by Laborum, together with the organization Grow - gender and work, which determined that 61% of working people in Chile live or experienced some situation of symbolic violence in their work. Additionally, 68% reported having received comments regarding pregnancy or motherhood.
If we add to this the fact that 27% witnessed situations of symbolic violence, the prevalence of this problem in the workplace of Chilean talent rises to 88%.
Furthermore, when delving into the type of situations experienced in this area, 68% mentioned having received comments regarding pregnancy or motherhood.
What is symbolic violence? That which, through stereotypical patterns, messages, values, icons or signs, transmits and reproduces domination, inequality and discrimination in social relationships, naturalizing the subordination of one person over another, mainly women and other vulnerable groups in society.
“In the case of working people in Chile, the experiences of symbolic violence that are most identified in work environments point to those who have union participation, are experiencing a pregnancy or are identified as personnel who perform care tasks,” explains Diego Tala . , commercial director of Laborum Chile.
According to the study data, violence at work is a very present situation for people in Chile, which promoted the legislative work that led to the sanction of the “Karin Law” against workplace harassment. A rule that will come into force in that country on August 1st.
The rule seeks to eradicate violence and harassment in the workplace and benefits workers with a fixed-term, indefinite contract, for work or tasks, and also independent workers who “regularly provide services in the same workplace.” .
Regarding the experience of workers in the work spaces, 33% acknowledged currently living in a situation of symbolic violence, while 27% commented that they experienced a situation of symbolic violence in the past. The study also shows that 27% reported having witnessed situations of symbolic violence against 5% who had never experienced a situation of this type.
The Laborum study identified the experiences of symbolic violence that talents experience in the workplace. Among these experiences, “inappropriate jokes or comments due to union participation and/or political opinion” (71%) stand out; “comments related to pregnancy or motherhood” (68%) and “inappropriate jokes or comments about those who perform care tasks (cleaning, cooking, etc.) (64%).”
Furthermore, 50% of Chilean talents have been violated for showing sensitivity or emotionality.
When inquiring about aspects that the workers experienced or felt, 53% of the workers said they had experienced “inappropriate comments in relation to the lack of reaction to jokes or attacks”, 50% said they had suffered symbolic violence such as “jokes or comments inappropriate for showing sensitivity or emotionality” and 42% said that they were assigned tasks or roles that are outside their responsibilities due to their gender.
