Brits are making mistakes at work due to stress

Research from the Workplace Silent Stress Survey by health, safety and environmental training provider, Astutis, reveals over half of Brits (52.6 per cent) are making mistakes at work due to stress, and one in four Brits have rung in sick at least once due to how stressed they’re feeling.

The Astutis report states that over one in four (28.5 per cent) Brits have missed deadlines due to stress, and a third (32.9 per cent) of Brits have also clashed with someone in the workplace due to stress.

These stats are costing workplaces millions of pounds each year, and workplaces need to take workplace burnout and stress more seriously, says Astutis.

Latest HSE statistics reveal that there are over 17 million working days a year lost due to work-related stress, anxiety and depression.

The research paints a stark picture of how stress is impacting productivity, collaboration, and employee wellbeing across Britain.

The surveyed participants were also asked, who they speak to, if anyone, when they’re stressed.

What’s troubling is that individuals aren’t talking with their managers about their worries. Only 4.7 per cent of those surveyed said that they would speak to their managers about what’s concerning them, and even fewer (1.3 per cent) engage with people in leadership roles.

Steve Terry, Managing Director at Astutis, commented on these findings: “These numbers portray a widespread, workplace culture where employees may feel unsafe to raise stress-related concerns, preferring to suffer in silence.”

It’s not a case of people not talking about their stress, over half of those interviewed were far more likely to confide in their friends or family. Terry suggests that this can actually be more damaging than it first appears to be.

He continued: “Although friends and family can offer emotional support, they have no power to implement changes to workloads or processes. It is management that is positioned to address the root causes that often underpin stress.”

From its findings, Astutis is encouraging employers to look at their internal processes and company culture and focus on creating an environment where people feel they are able to talk with their managers and leaders. Adding the benefit goes both ways; employers reduce the cost to their business in terms of lost hours and turnover, and employees will feel less stressed and, ideally, more valued in their roles.

To read the Workplace Silent Stress Survey click here.