Why You’re Stressing Out Your Staff
Around one in five employees (21%) say their boss is the biggest cause of stress in the workplace.
And that figure rises to two in five if you work in either property and construction (42%) or the law (41%).
Indeed, over two thirds (70%) of 1,238 employed adults surveyed by HR software provider Ciphr, say there’s at least one aspect of work which makes them stressed.
Over a third of employees say that work in general, and their workloads, cause them stress (37% and 35% respectively).
One in four (23%) of employees are stressed out by their working hours.
Other stress factors include the workplace culture (20%), commuting (19%) and work colleagues (19%).
And it’s no good CEOs saying that we are all in this together, because when it comes to stress, we’re not. The higher you are up the management ladder, the less stress you suffer.
Two in five (42%) of all employees below senior management level find work in general stressful. By comparison, just one in four (25%) of leaders and senior managers say the same.
Those most affected by work-related stress are employees in their mid-40s to mid-50s.
Around two fifths of GenX-ers, aged 45-54 years old, report finding their work in general and workload stressful (45% and 41%). And one in four (26%) say their colleagues contribute to their stress.
Even sending and responding to emails (as well as instant messaging and group work chats) are also seen as stressful by a sizable share of respondents (16%).
Wider stress triggers
Of course, there are other stress factors which impact on an employee’s focus and performance at work, outside of the workplace itself.
Feeling tired is the number one general reason for employees to feel stressed (40%), followed by financial worries (38%) and family or relationship issues (32%).
Over a quarter of the 2,000 people surveyed were coping with stress caused by health problems (27%) and being overwhelmed by a “too busy” schedule (27%).
Women more stressed than men
Women appear to be more frequently affected by stress – both in and outside of work. They are far more likely to say they feel stressed every single day (13% versus 8%), while 12% of male workers say they never feel stressed compared with just 7% of female co-workers.
Most stressful industries
Hospitality and events were cited as the most stressful business sector to be in (16% of respondents), with engineering and manufacturing the least stressful (7%).
What bosses can do to help
Claire Williams, chief people and operations officer at Ciphr, says employers need to be mindful of the role they can play in helping to relieve an individual’s stress and anxiety.
Employers need to make changes where possible if staff are raising concerns about their workloads or working hours.
The key, says Williams, is cultivating a workplace culture which prioritises workplace wellbeing; one where discussing stress and its causes and effects - is normalised.
Managers should be encouraged to help identify potential issues before they escalate. This includes training managers to recognise signs of mental distress and ensuring employees know what sort of support is available to them via their health insurance plans and employee assistance programmes.
Williams says: “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.
“Some stressors are always going to be around, and there are many things outside an employer’s control that can still take a toll.”
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