The research project entitled "Effects of the digitalization of work on the health of employees" was implemented as part of the initiative "Deutschland bewegt sich" ("Germany is on the move") by the Bild am Sonntag and Barmer GEK and in cooperation with the market research institute GfK. The results were presented by Prof. Stephan Böhm to invited journalists, business representatives and politicians in Berlin at the Axel Springer Verlag building on 27 September 2016. Among other well-known guests, the former German Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Andrea Nahles (SPD), was also present.

Study Design

Key results at a glance

	Digitalization has fully arrived in the labor force Significant differences between individual occupational groups (e.g. digitalization score in IT and scientific occupations 62 percent - in cleaning occupations 37 percent)
	High digitalization score is associated with higher emotional exhaustion (burnout) as well as more conflicts between work and family (18 percent of these conflicts can be attributed to this) 23 percent of those surveyed feel emotionally exhausted, difficulties in falling asleep and headaches and backaches can also occur
	Respondents see digitalization as something positive overall and are more inclined (regardless of age) to view technological progress as an asset Only slightly less than a quarter of the respondents are afraid of losing their jobs due to technological change (although this fear is much stronger among younger people than among older people)
	Flexible working hours and locations, sports, no use of mobile phones and computers in leisure time and a good relationship with the manager are associated with reduced work and family conflicts and less emotional exhaustion
	Icons created by (from top to bottom) monkik by www.flaticon.com, Freepik by www.flaticon.com, Bastien Delmare from the Noun Project («Progress») and Good Ware from www.flaticon.com