UK Bosses Risking Staff Burnout

UK bosses are risking staff burnout due to a lack of help alleviating and preventing stress in the workplace, according to new research.

The 2018 UK Workplace Stress Report, discussed on the Recruitment Buzz website, revealed that the most common cause of stress for the employed British adult is work, with 59% of the 3,000 respondents citing this as the key issue in their lives. However, despite this significant figure, almost half (45%) of British businesses offer no strategy or processes to help alleviate stress in the workplace.

While some may believe stress to be part and parcel of daily life, the study revealed that the effects can have a marked impact on the welfare and productivity of employees. As many as 25% of respondents admitted they struggle to be as productive as they can be at work when feeling under stress, and nearly the same number stated that stress made them feel disengaged.

It was also revealed that at least 1 in 10 employees would call in sick due to stress, and 7% would actually look for a new job and consider leaving the organisation entirely.

With the proven effect stress can have on both employees' morale and productivity, it's a concern that so few businesses consider stress a problem worth tackling. However, it appears that some industries are more affected than others.

The report revealed that hospitality employees were the least likely to be offered guidance or assistance to help deal with stress - 64% of workers in this sector stated this was the case. The leisure industry wasn't far behind with 63% of employers doing nothing to help manage workplace stress, followed by 55% of bosses within transport, 54% of plumbing and construction employees and 45% of healthcare and education employers respectively.

Stress amongst your workforce can take its toll on morale, productivity and consequently a business's overall success. Implementing measures designed to reduce stress such as introducing flexible working or making time for one-to-ones with managers can help manage the impact on a business.

Don't risk stress within your HR team - Stopgap is here to help! Contact the team today to find out how we could take some of the strain away.