Thank God it's Monday

South African office staff are happier at work than their global counterparts.

That's according to a new study on employees' perceptions and their levels of productivity.

Steelcase, a furniture and office design company, used a market research company to ask more than 12000 people in 17 countries about their work experience and productivity.

The research found one in three people were "disengaged" and dissatisfied at work, leading to poor productivity.

However, three-quarters of South Africans liked their work environment - more than the global average of 69%.

A total of 78% of South African office workers felt a connection to their colleagues and three-quarters were happy to go to work.

Office workers in Russia, India, Mexico, Germany, the US, France, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Belgium and South Africa were among those interviewed.

Indian and Mexican workers were more productive than those in France and Belgium.

The study found the country where employees lived and its culture had an impact on how satisfied they were.

According to the study, South Africans were more likely to work remotely.

Almost 70% would recommend their company as an employer and their jobs gave them a sense of personal achievement.

The survey included managers, clerks, and sales and technical staff.

But another study by North West University psychology professor Ina Rothmann had different results.

Her work indicated South African workers were at a high risk of burnout and felt overwhelmed by the demands of their jobs.

In a sample of more than 33 000 employees she found that 15.5% were at serious risk of burnout and 38% were at low risk of developing burnout.

Rothmann said she was "seeing more and more younger employees between 20 and 29 at risk for burnout".

This was due to high job demands and an unsupportive work environment.