Office stress levels are rocketing, with over half of workers reporting their jobs are getting more stressful, according to a survey by the Samaritans.
The survey, which was commissioned by the Samaritans, also found that a third of workers felt their employers turned a blind eye to the issue, with two in five adding they believed their bosses try to get everything they can out of them, regardless of stress levels.
Alarmingly, 80% of workers also said they had been bullied during their careers, with one in four citing it as a source of daily stress, and over half reporting that they had seen a colleague cry because of the pressure.
Young people were found to be the most vulnerable to stress, with 38% saying they found it difficult to talk openly to their managers, and six in 10 feeling unable to talk to colleagues.
The Samaritans said finding it hard to share anxiety can lead to a greater build-up of stress, which can severely affect both health and performance at work.
Joe Ferns, the charity’s deputy director of service support, said many of the problems boil down to the way people relate to each other at work.
“If a manager is not coping with stress very well, there’s a chance that he will take it out on staff, and it could turn into a bullying issue.
“It’s important to have good lines of communication available in the workplace - if we can encourage people to talk to each other while problems are still small, we’ve got a much better chance of a positive outcome,” he said.
© Crimson Business Ltd. 2008
