Politics Stress and exhaustion in apprenticeships widespread according to survey

Most young people in apprenticeships suffer from stress and exhaustion or excessive working hours. One in four drop out of their apprenticeship, according to a survey by the trade union Unia. The union is calling for more health protection and checks on working conditions.

The survey, in which over 1,100 apprentices took part, focused on stress, satisfaction with training, experiences of discrimination and bullying in the workplace as well as working conditions such as working hours and pay.

The majority of participants stated that they suffer from stress at work and feel exhausted after work. 92.4 percent experience stress at work, 53.2 percent of them often or always.

The majority of apprentices earn less than CHF 999 per month from the first to fourth year of training, with one in twenty apprentices earning less than CHF 500.

Over half of the apprentices also stated that they work more than nine hours a day, which exceeds the legal limits. A quarter of apprentices exceed these hours every week.