Almost two-thirds of the working population are battling with stress, according to research from pol...
Almost two-thirds of the working population are battling with stress, according to research from polling company MORI.
The survey also found that four out of 10 people suffering from stress in the workplace believed their condition had deteriorated in the last year.
Many of those surveyed blamed poor management and excessive workloads for increasing stress.
Almost a third of those questioned said that the stress they were under had lessened their commitment to their employers. Stress was also blamed for harming the health of over 8.5 million people - one third of the working population.
Steve Wood, director of Royal & SunAlliance Healthcare & Assistance, said: "With this number of employees affected, UK companies have got to start taking this seriously. It should be a boardroom issue."
He added: "We have created a range of health-related products and services that not only help to deal with stress, they also help prevent it. Stress is not just about work pressure. Unless we work to identify all of the contributory factors, it will not go away."
Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology and health at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, said UK companies faced a significant problem, which threatened performance.
He said: "As organisations look to create a leaner and meaner workforce, they have to realise there is a human cost. Unless they nurture employees, they could find that the cost is simply too great."
