Employers set to lose 20 million days to stress

26.07.09

A total of 20 million working days could be lost this year as a result of stress related absence, new research suggests.

According to the Health & Safety Executive, 13.5 million days were lost as a result of stress between 2007 and 2008. However, a survey by workplace consultancy Croner revealed that 50% of workers feel more stressed now year than a year ago which could push the figure up to 20 million.

The research found that the top three causes of stress for UK employees were work (63%), finances (62%) and the economy (49%).

Gillian Dowling, employment technical consultant at Croner, said: “The survey reveals that work is the uppermost concern of employees at the moment. This should be a real wake-up call for British bosses who may be in denial that stress is a concern in their organisation.

Dowling said high levels of stress could lead to absence, staff turnover and poor morale in the workplace.She added: “Stress issues should not be put on the back burner as it has a direct effect on productivity and impacts on an organisation's reputation and customer satisfaction.

“Working in conjunction with employees, employers should identify the main sources of pressure and develop realistic and workable solutions that actively tackle the underlying causes.”

© Crimson Business Ltd. 2009