Workplace stress is inevitable in such a digitally dependent era that demands 24/7 communication and grants very little downtime.
Heavy workloads, poor leadership and management styles and low wages can all be responsible for increased workplace stress. And, while this anxious sentiment is commonly felt by a large portion of employees, it seems that one generation in particular are more susceptible to workplace stress than others.
According to new research, 73% of 25 to 35-year-olds suffer from workplace stress more regularly, with many young adults – who focus on carving out successful career paths – taking home their work stresses.
[text:29890]
This demographic born between 1981 and 1996 have since been dubbed ‘millennials’.
The survey of 1,001 UK adults, conducted by Cygnet Jobs, found that 62% of workers situated within this age bracket have felt sleep deprived because of their career-related stress. And, this stress has even caused individuals to lose weight.
Rowan Marriott, Head of Resourcing at Cygnet Jobs, said that the research indicates how many people – particularly those aged between 25 and 55-years-old – are overworked and stressed as a result of pressurised working environments. He added:
“Most of us have the odd stressful day at work, but the long-term effects of being unhappy in the workplace can be very negative to someone’s mental and physical health.”
Dr Zofia Bajorek, a Research Fellow at the Institute for Employment Studies told HR Grapevine that previous research from the Mental Health Foundation revealed that 18 to 38-year-olds were reported as the demographic most susceptible to feeling stressed at work.
She added: “What was interesting, and something that organisations should be focussing on, is that just 14% of workers felt comfortable talking to their manager.” So, encouraging open conversations with line managers may be one way of addressing the situation.
[card:28450]
And, Bajorek said that there are many reasons for increased stress such as changing labour markets, insecure working contracts, high entry level workloads and lower rates of pay. Particularly if these concerns are identified and isolated, employers can strive to improve the wellbeing of their employees.
She added: “Training managers to spot the symptoms of poor mental health and to signpost employees to relevant sources of help such as employee assistance programmes and occupational health could and should be a priority for organisations.
“Line managers need to have emotional intelligence and not just the technical competencies to undertake line managerial roles, and even asking ‘how are you doing?’ instead of purely focussing on outputs and productivity may help to start conversations about wellbeing.”
However, some may argue that identifying the cause of stress is the easy task. Implementing strategies to combat stressed employees can be more complex.
O.C. Tanner suggests that organisations should move beyond physical fitness when considering staff wellbeing and alleviating employee stress.
[text:29842]
A top priority for employers should be integrating professional and personal life. Results from the 2018 Global Culture Report found that 53% of employees are forced to respond to work inquiries during personal time, while 38% can’t switch off from work outside of working hours. This dynamic has got to change before workplace wellbeing can improve.
Ensuring that organisations promote 1-2-1 meetings is vital for reducing stress as they give individuals the opportunity to open up about some of their concerns. O.C. Tanner said that when workspaces enable face-to-face interactions, there is a 28% increase in a sense of wellbeing and this can greatly reduce stress.
Additionally, adhering to the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) agenda will give employees a sense of belonging by giving them the freedom to be themselves.
