New research reveals 9 in 10 office workers stressed at work

More than nine in ten (92%) of the UKís office-based workers are stressed, according to new research from recruitment consultants Badenoch & Clark. Of the 92%, almost a third (32%) are often stressed and nearly one in 10 (8%) are always stressed.

Commenting on the findings, Neil Wilson, Managing Director of Badenoch & Clark said: ìStress in the workplace is not a new concept, but 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 personís health, it also impacts their productivity and attitude at work.î

Professionally, HR managers are the most stressed with two thirds (65%) saying that they were often or always stressed at work, compared with just a third (31%) of lawyers. According to UK office-workers, the main cause of stress is a heavy workload (52%), followed by the inefficiency of others (47%) and demanding customers (36%). Other factors relate to motivation in the workplace ñ a third of office workers feel that not seeing their work appreciated and feeling valued increases their stress levels.

ìEvery organisation needs an appropriate and well developed framework to prevent and tackle work-place stress - a framework actually put into practice and adhered to, not just on paper. An organisation with a culture that ignores stress or where employees feel if they mention it they will be seen as ëweakí or less likely to be considered for promotion, will sooner or later lose its competitive edge to other companies where stress is taken seriously,î explains Organisational Psychologist Simon McCarthy.

Stress affects people in a range different ways from making them feel generally unhappy to causing panic attacks and tension headaches. Almost half (48%) of UK office workers say that stress makes them unhappy, closely followed by 45% who find it more difficult to concentrate and 41% who say it gives them mood swings.

The effects of stress are not only mental; they can also have a physical impact on our lives. Over half (56%) of respondents said that when stressed, they find it difficult to sleep, followed by 52% who said it gives them tension headaches. Stress can also cause panic attacks (10%) and affect eating habits (31%).

Women are more likely to suffer tension headaches as a result of stress, with three fifths (60%) putting this as the main physical impact on their lives, compared to just two fifths of men. For men, stress is most likely to make it difficult to sleep (57%).

In the workplace, stress often makes office workers less productive (46%), less motivated (44%) and more irritable with colleagues (42%). Not only does this impact the day-to-day operations of the business but it can also impact the future of the company in terms of reputation, customer service and quality of output.

Outside of work, stress makes us less personable (54%) and less likely to go-out (38%). Weíre also less likely to communicate with our partners (29%), drink more alcohol (27%) and see our friends and partners less often (21% and 15% respectively).

Easing the pressure
Finding ways to ease stress can sometimes be difficult and half of UK-office workers would consider changing their profession entirely to ease the pressures. Yet despite being the most stressed, only half (53%) of HR professionals would consider changing profession compared to almost two thirds (63%) of IT & Telecoms workers.

ìThere are many ways of dealing with stress and changing careers can be quite effective. Not all people are suited to the job they currently have and would be better suited to a different role or industry. As recruitment consultants, we can assess candidates and advise them on the best type of role for their needs, lifestyle and personality as well as their skills and qualifications,ì comments Neil Wilson.

Other popular ways of easing stress include taking some ëmeí time (51%), followed by eating healthy food (35%). However, one of the most concerning findings is the fact that a quarter (26%) of office-workers turn to alcohol as a means of winding down.

Simon McCarthy concludes; ìThe significant levels of stress reported by participants in this research once again indicate that stress is not just a buzz word. Stress is very real for the individual and organisations play a big role in determining the level of stress individualsí experience and in helping them cope with it. Assessing and revealing the unique stress fingerprint of an organisation as a whole, which canít be done without a detailed analysis of its culture, and indeed of particular departments and roles, is essential if one is focused on prevention rather than more costly measures aimed at fixing the already ëbrokení or burned out!ì