Most people throughout their lifetime spend a large proportion of their time at work. It is known that the tasks, environment and substances involved can lead to health problems – either whilst working or into retirement.

UK Biobank is inviting participants to take part in an online survey about their working lives. This questionnaire will help scientists to research the affect working hours and chemicals in the work place may have on an individual’s health.

Detailed data of this kind and scale has not previously been available, and could help to inform future policies relating to the working environment.

Along with the health and lifestyle information you have already provided, this project puts UK Biobank in a unique position, to allow researchers to begin to understand the role an individuals working life plays in their health.

Participants are now being contacted via email and are being asked to provide information on their job history. This will continue throughout the year, so please do not worry if you haven’t received an invitation as yet, we will be contacting all participants in due course.

For participants that have received an invitation, the survey is quick and easy to undertake. Please get in touch with the Participant Resource Centre if you have any questions on 0800 0 276 276 (free from most UK phones) or 02920 765597, 8am-7pm Monday-Saturday.

Read more about current projects underway, including the analysis of genetic materials from all 500,000 participants, and the establishment of a scanning project to image up to 100,000 participants, in our 2015 Newsletter.

Read about approved research through UK Biobank in this area:

Dr Ruth Travis, Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Oxford University: aims to better understand the possible relationship between shift work and disease.

Dr Ellen Flint, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine: investigating the impact of active commuting on cardiovascular disease.