I really try not to stress out about keeping with my own editorial calendar when it comes to this blog. But I feel I have a duty and obligation to give you information in a timely and consistent fashion.

There is some stress with most work – some of it self-inflicted, some of it not. But as has been written here before, stress at excessive levels in the workplace can lead to poor health among workers, extra time-loss and a lack of productivity. And whether that stress is self-imposed by the workers are thrust upon them by harsh or unreasonable bosses and deadlines, there is a recent survey that suggests that employers should and can take a more active role in helping workers de-stress each day.

The survey was conducted in Britain and some of the results were published in a recent issue of Professional Safety magazine.

Stress Survey Results

More than 1,000 actively working adults in Britain were surveyed by Cascade HR about stress-related issues in the workplace, and an astounding 81 percent of them said they felt stressed at work, and two in three respondents said they felt their employer could do something about their stress.

In addition, nearly half of those who participated in the survey consider Monday the most stress-filled day of their week. (Thus the smash hit 1980s song “Manic Monday” by The Bangles.)

About one in four people in the survey said that they had trouble sleeping during the work week and about 15 percent said they didn’t have enough “down time” after work to stop thinking about work.  On average, respondents say they thought about work for about 100 minutes after leaving the workplace.

The Suggestion Box

Rest assured that this survey wasn’t just a bash-and-blame session, giving these stressed-out workers a chance to vent about their bosses and all the stress they feel at work. The truth is, stress can be an emotional context that we are only responsible for our own state – we choose to be or not be stressed, it is not technically “forced” upon us. However, this survey does give some insight into ways that employers can help workers deal with this emotional state so that they are more productive workers while on the clock.

And you know what? The workers surveyed stated that all they needed to reduce stress were some simple things that employer could provide immediately. Most of the suggestions were not unreasonable or very expensive – like no suggestions of an in-house spa or exercise/workout area complete with weights, spinning classes and full-time personal trainers named Helga and Sven.

Flex hours were the most-requested suggestion to improve stress for workers, as nearly 47 percent of respondents stated that a flexible working schedule would be a big help. Other prominent suggestions were:

  • Early “out” Fridays (39 percent of responses);
  • Friendly/compassionate managers/supervisors (38 percent);
  • Extra pay for good work (35 percent)
  • Days off for good behavior, so to speak (34 percent)
  • Able to work from home a few hours a week (27 percent)

Stressful work environments can be a hazard to worker health. Workers who are too stressed out may not be at work much or may not be as productive as they otherwise would be – meaning their attendance and productivity at work would be similar to someone who got hurt or sick from an incident at the worksite.

Stress is something to be addressed and controlled. It cant possibly be eliminated, but doing what you can to offer opportunities for workers to manage their stress can go a long way with your company. The investment in any of these suggestions will be small compared to the rewards in increased productivity and drop in absenteeism due to stress-related issues.