Latest MORI research shows stress at work already affects almost 60% of the working population - and the problem's getting worse. Poor management style and excessive workloads are significant factors.
As part of the annual National Stress Awareness Day™ held on 3rd November, research commissioned by the International Stress Management Association [UK] (ISMA) and Royal & SunAlliance Healthcare & Assistance, has indicated that nearly 60% of working adults in Great Britain have experienced a great deal or fair amount of stress over the last three years, and that nearly 40% of these people have experienced a great deal of stress. Perhaps most importantly, over 40% of people who experience stress at work said that this had worsened over the last 12 months.
The results suggest that stress is widespread throughout the workplace, with many citing poor management style and excessive workloads as significant factors. Critically for organisations, 30% of those who have experienced significant levels of stress feel that it has lessened their commitment to their employers. Stress was also cited as having a negative effect on the health of over a third of the working population (amounting to approximately 8.5 million people), with men and women being equally affected by the problem.
"The survey clearly demonstrates that companies in Great Britain have a significant problem on their hands and unless they take steps to address it, it will begin to impact on their overall performance." said Cary Cooper, Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST). "In order to 'get the job done', managers think they have to manage more autocratically than ever before, which I believe is a stress reaction to what I call the 'Too Lean Organisation' - which leads to the 'Too Mean Organisation' and poor management. As organisations look to create a 'leaner and meaner' workforce, they have to realise that there is a human cost and unless they nurture their employees, they could find that the cost is simply too great. Another contributing factor is Information Technology, which instead of helping workers, is simply overloading them electronically."
National Stress Awareness Day™ is an annual event and is held on the first Wednesday in November. Sponsored this year by Royal & SunAlliance, the event is organised by the International Stress Management Association (UK) or ISMA, which is a registered charity with a multi-disciplinary professional membership. ISMA exists to promote sound knowledge and best practice in the prevention and reduction of human stress. It sets professional standards for the benefit of individuals and organisations using the services of its members.
Key findings
Nearly 60% of working adults have experienced a great deal or fair amount of stress at work in the last two or three years. Of these nearly 40% have experienced a great deal of stress.
Of those that already feel they have experienced a great deal or fair amount of stress, 51% feel their levels of stress has increased in the past year.
37% have experienced a heavy or excessive workload in the past 12 months.
35% have experienced a poor management style.
Over 35% of the working adult population feel their stress levels have increased over the past 12 months, with a further 36% feeling their stress levels have stayed the same.
If you experience stress at work it is more likely to have a negative effect on commitment to an employer. For the entire adult working population 20%, or over 4 million workers have experienced a decrease in commitment to their employers as a result of stress.
35% say stress has had a negative effect on their health. This equates to approximately 8.5 million workers.
There is no significant difference between men's and women's stress levels.
The Stress And Life Trust - S.A.L.T
The Stress And Life Trust is a Christian organisation which provides seminars and presentations for Churches, Christian organisations and Charities. All seminars are based on medical / stress / scientific research. For Christian audiences, Christian beliefs and teaching are applied throughout. For outreach, the Christian application is presented in a short final session. SALT also runs courses for 'secular' organisations, where the Christian application is presented in a final session which is optional for the delegates.
Dr. Bill Munro and his wife Frances, Chief Executive and Director of SALT, were interviewed by Premier Radio. Dr Bill and Frances are highly experienced and well-qualified experts in the field of stress medicine and counselling. They are excellent speakers with the ability to communicate with clarity and humour, as well as being easy to listen to. They are both committed Christians. They have written three books on stress as well as articles and papers in academic general and Christian publications. Seminars include, "Counsel for Counsellors", "Designer living - The way to beat Stress", "Outreach and Evangelism" and weekend breaks and holidays for Churches.
For more information contact
SALT
The Istana,
Freezeland Lane,
Bexhill-on-sea,
East Sussex. TN39 5JD
Tel: 01424 219133