New research has shown that 92 per cent of the UK’s office-based workers are stressed.
The study, by recruitment consultants Badenoch & Clark, also found that HR professionals are the most stressed of those surveyed, with 65 per cent stating they were either often or always stressed at work, compared to 31 per cent of lawyers. Other professions surveyed included sales and marketing, IT, education, finance and healthcare.
The main causes of stress started with heavy workload, followed by the inefficiency of others and demanding customers.
Neil Wilson, managing director of Badenoch & Clark, said: “These latest figures are quite alarming. Employers need to consider the impact of stress on their employees and look at ways they can work together to help address the issue. Not only does stress affect a person’s health, it also impacts their productivity and attitude at work.”
The research also showed that 46 per cent of workers felt that stress can make them less productive, 44 per cent stated they were less motivated as a result, while 42 per cent believed it made them more irritable with colleagues.
Organisational psychologist Simon McCarthy said that every organisation needs an appropriate and well-developed framework to prevent and tackle workplace stress.
“An organisation with a culture that ignores stress or where employees feel if they mention it they will be seen as ‘weak’ or less likely to be considered for promotion, will sooner or later lose its competitive edge to other companies where stress is taken seriously.”
