It’s no secret that since the recession many workers have found themselves expected to do more with less. They’ve seen wage and hiring freezes as well as cutbacks in benefits. They’ve also worked under a cloud – knowing that their jobs could disappear in the next round of layoffs. 
As the economy begins to recover, some pressures have eased but overworked employees are still on edge. Work hours and conditions may not match the sweatshops of the early Industrial Revolution, but today’s workers often find themselves coming in early, leaving late, and staying connected after hours and during what passes for vacations. With the World Health Organization calling stress “the health epidemic of the 21st century,” employers need to understand the toll it can take on their employees.
Recent research adds to the wakeup call employers are beginning to heed about the harm stress can do to their organizations. ComPsych Corporation, a leading provider of employee assistance programs, recently released its 2013 StressPulse survey of 5,192 employees in North America. The survey report says 62 percent of the employees surveyed reported suffering high stress and experiencing extreme fatigue and feelings of being out of control.
Other research also shines a light on the issue. The Staying@Work report from global professional services company Towers Watson and the National Business Group on Health goes so far as to call stress the top lifestyle risk factor affecting employees.
Stress and the bottom line
The ComPsych survey notes that many people now consider stress the new norm, but the report calls that attitude a “costly mistake.”
“When a majority of workers report high levels of stress with ‘out of control’ feelings, employers can expect to see more mistakes, increased absenteeism, interpersonal conflict, and higher turnover,” the report states, adding that stressed employees also are likely to add to health care costs.
“Whatever the causes of stress may be, a growing body of research shows the effects of stress on workers – decreased productivity, health issues and absenteeism, morale problems, and reduced retention – can significantly impact an employer’s bottom line,” the report notes.
Here are some statistics from the StressPulse report:
- Forty-two percent of those surveyed said they lose 15-30 minutes per day in productivity because of stress, and 34 percent reported losing one hour or more a day. Twenty-four percent said stress doesn’t affect their productivity.
- Fifty-four percent reported they miss one to two days per year because of stress, 31 percent said they miss three to six days per year, and 15 percent said they miss more than six days a year because of stress.
- Forty-seven percent said they come to work one to four days per year when they are too stressed to be effective and 28 percent said five or more days. Twenty-five percent said stress has no impact on their effectiveness.
- As for how they cope with stress, 55 percent said they take frequent “stress breaks” at work to talk with others, 35 percent said they work harder, and 10 percent said they take a day off.
Employer-employee disconnect
The Staying@Work study delves into employer-sponsored health and productivity programs and what makes such programs effective. The researchers found that employers and employees don’t agree on the causes of stress in the workplace and how employers should respond.
The report says employers ranked the top cause of stress as poor work-life balance, but Towers Watson’s Global Benefits Attitudes Survey found that employees ranked work-life balance fifth among a list of 10 causes of stress. Employees ranked “the workplace experience – inadequate staffing, low pay or low pay increases, unclear or conflicting job expectations, and organizational culture” as the top cause of stress.
“Employers committed to reducing stress in the workforce might start by understanding their employees’ stress drivers, and then reviewing their health and workforce programs in light of the findings,” the Staying@Work report advises.
“Employees’ message to employers is clear: Pay me adequately. Support me on the job. Guide me on my job priorities,” the report says.