Jobs in health care demanding, but also rewarding

People working in the health care and welfare sector think their jobs are physically and emotionally demanding. They are nevertheless more than averagely pleased with their jobs. Their readiness to continue working until 65 is the same as in other sectors.

Demanding working conditions

In 2009, people working in health care and welfare thought they had a higher workload than people employed in other sectors. This applies to the physical and psycho-social work load. They must often apply force and spend time in uncomfortable positions while working. They also more often think their job is dangerous. A positive point is that caregivers are generally not bothered by exposure to noise.

Physical workload, 2009

Physical workload, 2009

Emotionally demanding

Caregivers more often than people employed in other sectors evaluate their job as emotionally demanding. They also frequently have to cope with undesirable behaviour form their clients. Providing care is perceived as a relatively intensive job with a high workload. People employed in the sector generally have less job autonomy than people employed in other sectors, but caregivers appreciate the large amount of variation typical of jobs in the health care and welfare sector.

Psycho-social workload, 2009

Psycho-social workload, 2009

Great job satisfaction

Demanding working conditions often result in a lower level of job satisfaction and make that people are less prepared to continue working until the age of 65. Yet, with 82 percent, care providers appeared to be more than averagely pleased with their jobs in 2009. The only sectors with a higher job satisfaction rate were construction and culture and other services.

The tough working conditions in the health care and welfare sector do not affect the preparedness of the care providers to continue working until 65. More than 4 in 10 are prepared to work until the age of 65, the same proportion as in other sectors.

Job satisfaction and working until 65, 2009

Job satisfaction and working until 65, 2009

Christianne Hupkens, Jeroen Nieuweboer and Seth van den Bossche (TNO)