It may not be surprising to hear that a large percentage of workers in the United States and the United Kingdom suffer from work-related stress. But the actual number may come as a bit of a surprise.
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According to a recent survey, 94% of workers report feeling stress at work, and almost a third say their stress level is high to unusually high. That’s virtually every employee surveyed saying he or she has work-related stress!
Let’s take a look at some of the potential impacts of that stress.
Impact on Personal Life
The effects of the stress so many employees experience extends beyond the workplace, according to the study, which found that 54% of survey respondents reported that stress from work negatively affects their home life at least once a week.
In addition, 50% of the respondents report sleep loss due to stress. This can easily translate into poor employee morale and lead to an overall toxic work culture.
Reduced Productivity and Work Quality
While some companies are of the opinion that a high-pressure work environment can help employees perform better, the data cast some doubts on that belief.
“Over a quarter of respondents report a decline in work quality due to stress,” says a Wrike blog post covering the data. “In other words, overly stressed employees aren’t a sign companies are getting the most out of employees—they may actually be getting less.”
Burnout, Turnover
Employers can’t expect to keep employees on staff indefinitely under high stress levels. “Workers only last so long under constant stress,” says Wrike. “Our survey reports over a quarter of employees say that they will burn out in the next 12 months if their stress levels don’t change—and burnout is expensive.”
Not only do employees “check out” and become less engaged, the Wrike data found that over half of respondents looked for a new job and 25% reported they’ve quit a job because of stress.
Stress is often an element of almost any job. The survey data confirm that. But what is perhaps overlooked by many is the extent to which employees in the United States and the United Kingdom are feeling stressed out and the very real impacts that stress is having on individual employees and the companies they work for.