More than half (54%) of employees in the UK suffer from stress in the workplace, according to research by Mindful WorkLife and Gorkana Surveys.
The online study, which canvassed the views of 100 UK respondents in November 2019, also found a further quarter (25%) of employees suffered from stress during working hours at least once a week.
Respondents also stated that they were not leaving this stress at work, with more than a third (36%) finding that the stress experienced in the workplace was carried over into their personal lives, and an additional one in four (42%) noting that they sometimes let workplace stress affect their home lives.
Alternatively, almost three in 10 (28%) stated that the stress they experience in their personal lives goes o to affect their working lives. Only 5% felt that home life stress has never affected their work.
When it comes to getting support in the workplace, more than a quarter (27%) claimed that their employer either never or rarely takes action to support them, although a quarter (25%) did feel that they get continuous support.
Martin Zetter, founder and chief executive officer at Mindful WorkLife, said: “The research shows that UK [employees] are reporting stress on a very frequent basis, but many do not have the right level of support to help manage it. Organisations which are serious about reducing stress, and improving health and wellbeing for staff, need to move on from simply raising awareness in the workplace to taking tangible action.
“For [staff] to manage stress effectively they need to integrate stress management techniques into both working and home life. Scientific studies conducted by the Oxford Mindfulness Centre have proven meditation and mindfulness to improve concentration, attention, memory, creativity, reduce social anxieties, and even to boost the immune system."
