Question 1

What is the difference between work stress and burnout?

Accepted Answer

Work stress is a lasting imbalance between what your work asks of you and what you have to meet it; you still function, but you stop recovering. Burnout is the end point of that process: persistent exhaustion, mental distance from the work, and reduced performance that rest alone no longer resolves.

Question 2

What are the first signs of work stress?

Accepted Answer

Usually disrupted sleep, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and needing longer to recover after a normal working day. Physical complaints such as tension headaches and stomach problems often appear before people describe themselves as stressed.

Question 3

What causes work stress?

Accepted Answer

Most often the design of the job: high demands combined with low control, weak support, effort that is not recognised, no real recovery time, and work spilling into private life. Personal circumstances matter, but these drivers explain most of the difference between teams.

Question 4

How long does recovery from burnout take?

Accepted Answer

Recovery is measured in months rather than weeks. In the Netherlands stress-related absence averages around 252 days, with burnout averaging around ten months — which is why acting at the stress and overload stage matters so much.

Question 5

What can an employer do about work stress?

Accepted Answer

Measure which areas are under pressure, act on areas that are drifting rather than only on crises, adjust demands and autonomy together, equip managers to have the conversation early, and keep all reporting aggregated and anonymous.

Question 6

Can a health check detect stress?

Accepted Answer

A health check cannot diagnose burnout, but it can show whether chronic stress has begun to affect measurable systems — blood pressure, blood sugar regulation, inflammation and sleep — and combine that with a structured measure of how work feels.

Question 7

What do I get for free?

Accepted Answer

The 59-question check, your personal score, result band and a useful summary are free. You only decide whether to buy Complete Insights after seeing that result.

Question 8

What is included in Complete Insights?

Accepted Answer

Complete Insights includes detailed results across all six work areas, your personal stress pattern, recommendations, a downloadable PDF, one private 15-minute call with a therapist and one retake.

Question 9

How much does Complete Insights cost?

Accepted Answer

The one-off price shown to you will be either €29.95 or €39.95, including VAT. Preventa is testing these two prices. There is no subscription or automatic renewal.

Question 10

How do the call and retake work?

Accepted Answer

Each purchased package includes one private, no-obligation 15-minute call with a therapist. The retake does not add another call. Your one retake remains available for 12 months after purchase; repeating after 6–12 weeks usually gives the most useful comparison.

Frequently asked questions about work stress

Work stress and burnout