Employees are more stressed than a year ago and management failure to address this could have a prolonged impact on productivity. This is the conclusion from research released today by Investors in People UK, the organisation that works with companies to improve productivity.
The research, which was conducted by YouGov, reveals over a third (38%) of employees in the UK say stress levels at work are higher than a year ago, yet less than one in three (29%) believe their organisation is doing anything to help them manage this.
Worryingly, managers may not only be failing to deal with workplace stress, they could be making matters worse. Nearly half (43%) of stressed employees[1] said a lack of confidence in management had contributed to an increase in stress levels. Meanwhile, only 5% of employees[2] said they are receiving more support from their managers than they did before the downturn and only 12% think their manager has adapted very well to the effects of the downturn.
Simon Jones, chief executive of Investors in People, commented: “Increased stress in the workplace is associated with reduced productivity. Our research suggests that management has so far not addressed the current increase in workplace stress. The longer the problem is ignored, the more it could impact on productivity at a time when the UK economy needs a boost. We would urge managers to respond proactively to the recession, to gain the confidence of their employees by providing support for them during this period of uncertainty.”
The research also revealed that experience can make a difference to workplace stress. Over four fifths (84%) of employees over 55 years old have experienced a downturn before, compared with just over half (52%) of all employees. The research found these older employees are coping with stress better than younger ‘recession virgins’.[3]
[1] Refers to employees who have experienced increased stress levels.
[2] Refers to employees who are managed by someone else.
[3] The incidence of increased workplace stress due to the current downturn among the over-55 age group was 32%, which was decidedly lower than among workers who are 35-44 (41%) and 45-54 (45%)