Gaza war a burden on soldiers' partners, new study shows

Wives of reservists who are fighting in Gaza are really suffering – torn between caring for their children at home and working at their regular jobs (if they haven’t been dismissed). 

A new study by the Israel Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (IIOSH) has just unveiled the heavy burden of war on soldiers’ partners – 46.8% of working mothers experience sleep difficulties compared to 24.1% of fathers; and 48.7% of working mothers experience very high levels of fatigue at work compared to 32% of fathers. 

The effects of the war directly impact the health of workers in Israel who are struggling under pressure. Work-related stress is a result of excessive burdens that female employees or self-employed struggle with to cope with. To various Untreated chronic stress can lead to sleep problems, fatigue, depression, and physical problems like headaches and digestive issues. The pressures may even increase the risk of physical illnesses such as diabetes and heart diseases. 

According to recent data presented in the Knesset Economic Affairs Committee, 30% of female workers called up for reserve duty reported a change in employment status; six percent of these women were fired from their jobs, and eight percent were placed on unpaid leave. In addition, 86% of self-employed individuals in Israel reported a drop in their income. 

Women experience higher levels of fatigue and anxiety than men

A new study conducted by the IIOSH among 1,498 workers employed during the summer examined the physical and psychological effects on workers in Israel, including gender differences among workers in Israel. The survey was conducted during the summer months of 2023 and during the early stages of the war in December. 

The research findings clearly show that women experience higher levels of fatigue, anxiety, and sleep difficulties compared to men. Nearly half of women experience sleep difficulties compared to 26.3% among men. 46.3% experience very high levels of fatigue compared to 32% among men. 

Among working mothers with children under 18, the gender disparities are even more pronounced – 46.8% of working mothers experience sleep difficulties compared to 24.1% of fathers; 48.7% of working mothers experience very high levels of fatigue at work compared to 32% of fathers.

The research also found that single women lost their jobs and were unemployed almost twice as much as married women (10.1% compared to 5.9%), and more women lost their jobs than men (7.3% compared to 3.9%). 9.6% of men were in reserve duty or still in reserve duty at the beginning of December, and 1.2% of women.

The IIOSH presented recommendations on how to ease the burden of these women:

Identification and assessment of risks: Employers must identify and clearly understand the current situation; be alert and continuously monitor patterns or behaviors exhibited by workers indicating mental distress like excessive sick days, high employee-turnover rates, fatigue and lack of concentration, irritability and decreased performance indicators.

Communicate with workers, listen to them, and plan goals, needs, and requirements that are appropriate to this period of time. Workers understand the organization’s needs and want to be helpful. In many cases, they likely feel guilty towards their colleagues and clients and their role. A renewed definition of requirements from workers along with them and defining the scope of work and appropriate schedules will enable them to undertake achievable tasks, contribute to the collective effort, and maintain motivation and commitment.

Rami Be’za, chairman of the Freelancers and Self-Employed Forum, charged that the state neglects the female self-employed in Israel who struggle under this unique burden.

"The government announced plans for a ‘Recruiting for Reserves’ program to supposedly help the self-employed, but in reality, there is no budget for the program, and the debts of the self-employed continue to grow. How do you expect such people to cope? Why isn’t the plan addressing extending maternity leave for self-employed individuals or incentives for growth that are supposed to assist with future business impact? Until we receive answers to these details, more and more self-employed people will collapse with an unbearable debt and fatigue. The self employed urgently need oxygen, or there will be no one left to save.” 

IIOSH director-general Dr. Miki Winkler concluded that during this war, “female workers are facing many challenges related to maintaining their jobs amidst the economic crisis and caring for their children while their spouses are in reserve duty. Singles who bear a heavier burden must also be helped. Employers should pay attention to warning signs and create a supportive work environment that preserves their health and also helps increase productivity at work. We invite employers to use our counselling and guidance service to maintain workers’ mental and physical health.”