More than two-thirds of employees are stressed by work, finds Ciphr

Work is the third biggest cause of stress for employees, after lack of sleep and money worries.
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Work is the third biggest cause of stress for employees, after lack of sleep and money worries, according to the latest research from Ciphr.

More than two-thirds (70%) of the 1,238 employed adults surveyed by HR software provider identified at least one aspect of work that contributes to their stress levels.

Work in general was the biggest cause of stress for 37% of employees, with workload pressures (35%) coming in at a close second.

Nearly one in four (23%) struggled with long or inflexible working hours, and one in five blamed their bosses (21%), workplace culture (20%) or work colleagues (19%) for their increased stress.

Despite the rise in remote and hybrid working since the pandemic, commuting was still a significant source of stress for a fifth (19%) of workers.

Nearly one in six said they have anxiety about their job security (17%).

The stress of sending and responding to emails, instant messages and group chats was also cited by a sizeable share of respondents (16%).

Other major stress triggers, included feeling tired (40%), financial strain (38%), and family or relationship issues (32%).

In addition, more than a quarter were also coping with stress caused by health problems (27%) and having a too busy schedule (27%).

The people most likely to feel stressed out by their jobs were Gen X, aged 45 to 54 years old.

80% of women and 75% of men in this cohort reportedly found one or more aspects of their work lives stressful.

Women were the least likely to say they never feel stressed in a typical month (7% of female workers versus 12% of male workers) and the most likely to say they feel stressed every single day (13% versus 8%).

Indeed, most of the common stressors identified by Ciphr’s study impacted noticeably more women than men.

For example, although feeling tired or lack of sleep is the biggest stress trigger for all UK workers, it was cited by a far greater share of surveyed women – half (48%) compared to less than a third of surveyed men (31%).

Women were also significantly more likely to be stressed about their finances (44% of female workers versus 32% of male workers), their workload (38% versus 31%), world events (29% versus 18%), cooking and meal planning (22% versus 9%), and their caring responsibilities (21% versus 16%), among other things.

There were a few exceptions – marginally more men than women cited their working hours as a cause of stress (25% versus 22%).

Male respondents were also more likely to say the same about their commute (21% versus 18% of female workers).

Claire Williams, chief people and operations officer at Ciphr, said: “Ciphr’s latest research provides some interesting, yet worrying, insights into the high levels of work-related stress that exist across all job roles.

“One finding that stands out for me is how one in nine employees – that’s millions of people in the UK – feel stressed every single day.

“Work is not necessarily always the cause, granted, but it can be a significant contributor. If 11% of your workforce – likely more – is stressed daily, then it is going to have a big impact on their home lives and their work lives.

“So, employers need to be mindful of the role they can play in helping to relieve an individual’s stress and anxiety.

“Unrealistic workloads and time pressures, overbearing bosses, unsupportive colleagues, and toxic workplace cultures, can all trigger stress.

“This can interfere with people’s focus and productivity, and negatively affect our happiness and job satisfaction. It can also lead to higher staff turnover and absenteeism.”

She added: “If people are raising concerns about their workloads or working hours don’t ignore it – make changes where possible.

“The key lies in cultivating a workplace culture that prioritises employee wellbeing. One where discussing stress, and its causes and effects, is normalised and encouraged to help identify potential issues before they escalate.

“This includes training managers to recognise signs of mental distress and ensuring employees know what support is available to them via health insurance plans and employee assistance programmes.”

Jessica O'Connor

Jessica O'Connor is a Reporter at Workplace Journal

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