Stress ‘damages UK productivity’
A new study has found that stress may be hampering attempts to raise productivity and make British business competitive.
Stress has become such a problem that it is costing the economy £1.24 billion a year in sickness absence and lost productivity, while firms struggle to hold onto or recruit new staff.
The joint study by Personnel Today magazine and the Health and Safety Executive has revealed that six in ten managers feel that stress is to blame for increased staff turnover. A further quarter claimed that recruitment has been hampered by people not taking jobs for fear that it would be too stressful.
Much of the blame for stress allegedly comes from firms attempting to boost productivity, which may be placing too much emphasis on the work rate of employees.
High staff turnover can cost firms a great deal, as can the inability to attract the most talented workers. As such, those involved in the study have highlighted that the push for productivity may be damaging it.
Jane King, editor of Personnel Today, commented: ‘As organisations strive to increase their productivity they appear to be putting greater stress on their employees, This in turn is adversely affecting their productivity. This is a vicious circle that employers must interrupt.’
The problem is put into context by news that productivity per man-hour in the UK is still twenty per cent that in Germany.
While some managers appear to blame stress for a firm’s problems, many workers blame managers for their stress. Poor management is highlighted as one of the biggest barriers to overcoming workplace stress, and achievable realistic targets along with clarity of purpose can be vital tools in reducing it.
The impact of stress on a firm is also only one side of the problem. Stress can have a severe impact on health, with heart conditions and mental health being major concerns.
Stress can also lead to social problems such as heavy drinking and marital breakdowns, each of which can lead to greater stress for the individual involved as well as spreading it to those around them.
