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As stress levels rise, 1 in 4 companies still have no stress policy says survey

According to a survey of more than 200 UK managers, stress levels are at an all time high with half the respondents saying they believe up to three quarters of their colleagues suffer workplace stress. Over 10% put the number as high as 90%.

The survey, carried out by PTP Training & Marketing, found that despite these statistics, just under a quarter of the survey sample report their companies have no policies or procedures in place to help staff deal with the widespread problem.

And it appears that the higher up the professional scale you are the higher the stress levels. Forty per cent of respondents believe managers are the most likely to be affected by stress although 1 in 10 believe that those occupying middle management roles are the most prone to stress as they have the responsibility which comes with this level but not the power to change the system which comes with a more senior management position.

The survey found that meeting deadlines and targets are the main triggers of stress. A quarter of the sample say high expectations and often unrealistic demands have a detrimental affect on workers’ stress levels. This was followed by 21% saying a high workload is to blame forcing people to work harder and longer hours.

Other issues cited included lack of support, direction and training; poor management; poor communication; lack of resources; and struggling to achieve the work/life balance. Some also claim it is our ingrained culture of hard work and long hours which we have to thank for soaring stress levels.

So what are companies doing to manage the problem of stress in the workplace? While 23% of companies apparently have no stress beating policies others are waking up to the fact that they have to act now. Measures to help counter-act stress appear to be mainly internal initiatives and include specific training and workshops, employee support and counselling, open door policy for direct contact with mangers to talk through problems and a staff support telephone line.

Preventing stress rather than coping with it when it occurs is thought to be the priority for many companies. This is achieved through a variety of measures such as flexible working, maternity, paternity and special leave, rest days and time out and a mentoring system.

Just under half the sample (48%) believe the stress situation among their colleagues has deteriorated over the last two years. However, 20% thought the situation within their companies had improved over the last two years primarily helped by the introduction of more flexible and part time working and other new initiatives such as ‘rest days’. Other factors easing the stress situation included a better awareness of stress issues, improved reporting and communication systems and new personnel - particularly at the top – bringing new attitudes into the workplace.

Marc Holland, managing director of PTP Training & Marketing says he is surprised at both the high numbers of people in the workplace suffering from stress and the fact that very few external resources are used to combat it. He said: "The number of stress sufferers revealed by our survey is extremely worrying – particularly as it seems to be a growing trend.

"Companies are taking measures to deal with the problem in-house but there are a number of external support systems they could use to help ease the situation. Stress Management courses are designed to help people reduce stress by learning how to manage pressure better. This has the effect of putting people back in control even as the pressure increases, so they perform well and achieve results within this demanding environment.

"Once people learn how to recognise the early warning signals of stress and understand the tools and techniques to reduce it they will be far better prepared to deal with the demands of today’s competitive workplace where people have heavier workloads, harder to achieve targets and tighter deadlines."

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