Written by Kayleigh Frost, Head of Clinical Support at Health Assured�
A 2021 poll showed that 54% of employees reported feeling �stressed� or �extremely stressed� at work.
Long-term�or chronic�stress can lead to physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion, also known as burnout, and this can lead to serious health implications later down the line.
Clearly work-life can be a trigger of stress across the country,�so�it is important that signs are recognised, acknowledged, and understood by both employers and employees�to stop issues developing�to unmanageable levels.
Health Assured,�the UK and Ireland’s largest employee assistance programme (EAP) provider,�reviewed�the data from the hundreds of thousands of calls�they�received over the past three months�to identify the�top 5 workplace stresses faced by employees.
- Job role
The top workplace stressor relates to job role. Many employees in this calling category�seek�clarity about their role. Lack of objectives,�no�future direction and�misunderstood expectations can lead to feelings of confusion,�inadequacy,�and hopelessness�which, over time, can take its toll.
- Job demands�
Next on the list is job demands. Typical issues in this remit include a feeling of overwhelm,�that there�s�not enough hours in the day and a struggle to cope. This could be�due to an�excessive workload�or an�inability to cope with certain tasks.�Callers in this category often report symptoms of burnout and stress-related absences.
- Work relationships
Relationships can be a cause of tension across all areas of life.�Work relationships came in as the third biggest cause of�stress in the workplace. Calls�can�range from�conflict with colleagues to bullying and victimisation across the organisation.
- Support�issues�
The next biggest contributor to stress in the workplace�is�related to support issues. Issues in this category�include�receiving�insufficient�support in the role and a lack of guidance from management. Employees having difficulty in this category can often feel frustrated,�anxious,�and neglected.
- Changes at work
The final category is changes at work�which�can include big organisational shifts or smaller�scale team changes�like�redundancies, a flood of leavers or a shift in company policy.�Change can bring uncertainty�which can�sometimes be a trigger of stress for employees, making it hard for them to stay engaged with workplace culture.
Countless potential workplace stresses reveal themselves from call data, but�behind each call is an employee struggling. This stress can affect productivity,�performance,�and absence levels.�It can also seep into other areas of life, affecting relationships, work-life�balance,�and mental health.�It is vital�for both employers�and employees to�grasp the impact of work-stresses and work towards�a place of understanding,�awareness,�and support.
