Stress is a problem for two-thirds (two thirds) of employees

According to a new study by HR software provider Ciphr, stress at work is third in importance for UK employees after money worries and lack of sleep.

70 % of 1,238 adults who were surveyed said that at least one aspect contributes to stress.

Around one third of employees (37%) are stressed by their work in general. Workload pressures (35%) come in second.

One in four (23%) people are stressed out by long or rigid working hours. One in five (21%) blame their bosses, workplace culture (20%), or colleagues (19%) for their increased levels of stress.

Even though remote and hybrid work has increased since the pandemic began, commutes are still a major source of stress for one fifth (19%) workers.

Nearly one-sixth of respondents (17%) are worried about their job security.

A large share of respondents (16%) also mentioned the stress caused by sending and replying to emails, as well as instant messaging and group chats.

Another major stress factor that can affect an employee’s performance and focus at work is fatigue. Forty percent of employees report feeling tired. Financial strain accounts for 38 percent. Family or relationship problems account for 32 per cent. More than a quarter of employees also deal with stress due to health issues (27%) or a “too busy” schedule (27%).

Share of UK employees who find these things stressful

According to Ciphr data, Gen Xers aged 45-54 are the most likely to be stressed by their job. According to Ciphr, 80% of women in this group and 75% men find at least one aspect of their job stressful.

Stress seems to affect women the most, both at work and in their personal lives. The women are less likely than men to report that they have never felt stressed during a typical work month (7 vs 12%) and more likely to feel stressed each day (13% vs 8%)

Ciphr’s study found that most common stressors disproportionately affect women. In fact, despite the fact that feeling tired or a lack of sleep are the top stressors for UK workers, a greater percentage of women (48%) than men (31%) cited this as their biggest stressor.

The stress levels of women are significantly higher than those of men. They may be more stressed by their financial situation (44% compared to 32%), their workload (38% as opposed to 31%), the state of the world (29% as compared with 18%), their cooking and meal-planning (22% vs 9%), and their caring duties (21% vs 16.%).

There are some exceptions, however – slightly more men than woman cite their work hours as the cause of stress (25% to 22%). The same is true for male workers when it comes to their commute. (21% of men compared to 18% of women).

The most stressful industries to work in

“Some” temporary feelings of pressure or stress can sometimes be useful as a motivator for achieving specific goals or meeting a deadline. Negative or prolonged stress can be debilitating to people’s emotional and physical wellbeing.

Findings suggest that employees are more stressed on the job than they realize. The average employee feels stressed about 11 days per month.

Two-fifths (42%) all employees below the senior management level find their work stressful in general. Just one quarter (25%) of senior managers and leaders feel the same.

Certain types of work are also more stressful than other. On average, people who work in hospitality or events are stressed out 15.6 days per month. It is estimated that 187 days, or more than half a calendar year, are spent dealing with stress.

Stress is most common among those in the social care and teaching and educational sectors. Nearly 1 in 6 (18%) of the employees in these service industries feel stressed on a daily basis (although, they experience stress an average of 13.1, 12.3, and 14.3 days per month).

Engineering and manufacturing workers are the least stressed (in comparison), with 7.3 days of stress per month.

What can employers do to ?

Claire Williams, Ciphr’s chief people and operations officers, said: “Ciphr’s latest research provides interesting, but worrying insights into the high level of stress at work that exists across all job functions.

Stress can be caused by unrealistic workloads, time pressures and toxic work cultures. Stress can negatively impact our happiness and satisfaction at work, as well as interfere with productivity and focus. This can lead to higher absenteeism and staff turnover.

There are some stressors that will always be there, and many things beyond the control of an employer can still have a negative impact. There are many things organisations can and should do to support the mental health and well-being of their employees with empathy and understanding.

If people express concerns about their work load or hours, don’t ignore them – change things where you can. It is important to cultivate a culture in the workplace that prioritizes employee well-being. Discussing stress and its effects is encouraged and normalised to identify issues before they escalate. This includes training managers on how to recognize signs of mental distress, and making sure employees are aware of the support available through employee assistance programs and health insurance plans.

The survey findings form part of Ciphr’s 2024 stress study, examining the incidence and causes of stress (in and outside of work): https://www.ciphr.com/infographics/workplace-stress-statistics

Ciphr, the UK’s leading provider of HR solutions and software for large and medium-sized organisations, is the preferred partner in the UK. Its integrated software, services, and content for HR, payroll and learning, and recruitment, provide HR teams with invaluable insights that help them to develop and grow their organisation. Ciphr, based in Reading is on a quest to amplify the voice and value HR by providing intelligent solutions for people data that will help HR be heard in the boardroom as well as across the organisation.

Visit www.ciphr.com for more information.