People who are dissatisfied with their workplace bosses not only take more sick leave, but are at increased risk of suffering a heart attack. Karolinska Institute (Sweden) researchers analyzed data from almost 20,000 employees in Sweden, Finland, Germany, Poland and Italy, working in a range of fields; some of the studies also included a representative selection of Sweden's entire working population and industries in the Stockholm region. They found that male residents of the Stockholm area ran a 25% greater risk of suffering myocardial infarction (heart attack) during the ten-year follow-up period if they had expressed displeasure with their managers at the start of the study; the level of risk increased more sharply with time of employment for subjects that reported "poorer" leadership. Conversely, the researchers determined that Swedish men and women who rated their managers as inspirational, positive and enthusiastic reported less short-term sick leave. The study authors report that: "The bottom line is that our results show that there's a relationship between how employees find their managers and how they feel, physically and mentally, and not just while at work but also later in life."

There may be little we can do to change the attitudes of our workplace superiors, but there is something we can do as workers.  Try to leave on-the-job concerns at the workplace, and make the most of your time away from work – enjoy the company of family and friends: previous studies suggest that a positive social network may exert profound health-promoting benefits.