Stress Going Unmanaged

Several stress-related stories came out from both sides of the Pond in recent days. Croner reports that three-quarters of UK businesses are failing to manage work-related stress, at a cost of 90 million lost working days per year.

Also, a survey of 16 Canadian CEOs sponsored by BMO Financial Group showed that middle managers are the most vulnerable to workplace stress. This stress is caused by widespread job insecurity; pressure to balance work and home life; requirements to do more with fewer resources; unclear job definitions and expectations; and the feeling that cell phones and e-mails have extended the workday to 24 hours.

Yet another study, this one out of Brandeis University, shows that parents under stress because of their kids’ after-school arrangements are more than three times as likely to report high levels of job disruption as other parents. These stressed-out parents miss about eight days of work per year; other parents miss about three. The risk is cut in half when employees can take care of family matters when necessary during the workday, make a short personal call during the workday or leave work at a regular time each day.