Health
People who have good relationships with work colleagues live longer. The effect of social support from colleagues is particularly noticeable among people aged 38 to 43 years. Studies have shown that the same support from superiors has no effect on mortality.
According to research published in the journal Health Psychology, men who have authority, control and decision-making power at work are also more likely to live longer.
Researchers conducted a survey and found that social support for work colleagues is high when colleagues help them cope with tasks and when they are friendly in relation to each other.
Scientists from Tel Aviv University (Israel) analyzed the medical records of 820 adults and followed them for 20 years from 1988 to 2008. The study participants were employees of large Israeli companies that were engaged in finance, insurance, utilities, healthcare and manufacturing.
They reported working an average of 8.8 hours a day. One third of them were women, 80 per cent had families and children, and 45 per cent had at least 12 years of education.