Fast pace of life

There has never been a time before when the pace of life was so fast. Think about the overwhelming mass of an unending flow of (electronic) information, the ad hoc questions, interruptions, chances and possibilities, problems and crises. We have never previously lived in a 24-hour economy, in a work environment that encompassed the entire world, where people have more work than they can get through. Many people are permanently exposed to and experiencing heavy work pressure.

These figures speak volumes:

* 1 in 10 employees end up in a burnout situation.
* 40% of the sick leave is due to too high pressure of work
* 300,000 people are unfit to work due to work-related illnesses
* the costs of reintegration amounts to two annual salaries per individual
(Source: Stichting Bedrijfsartsen [Association of Company Doctors])

Sick leave costs industry 660 million euro

Every year Dutch business spends 660 million euro on sick leave and loss of productivity as a consequence of depression. According to GGZ Nederland [Dutch Mental Health Care Association]
(Source: HR Praktijk 15-06-2007)