UK bosses are risking workforce burnout, says research

UK bosses are doing little to stop their employees from burning out, new research suggests.

For most Brits, work is the most common cause for feeling stressed at 59 per cent, yet almost one in two British businesses do not offer anything to help combat this.

According to a study of 3,000 workers carried out by Perkbox, one in four struggle to remain productive at work when stressed, with 10 per cent choosing to call in sick when feeling tense.

“It’s worrying to see how few businesses seem to be considering stress levels within their workforce their problem. And it is particularly ironic to see that almost one in two workers within the healthcare industry say their bosses do not do offer anything to help them alleviate stress levels,” said Chieu Cao, CMO and co-founder at Perkbox.

“This can have hugely damaging effects on morale, productivity and sickness absence – all of which ultimately contribute to a company’s overall success – and it is important for bosses to recognise the contribution that work makes to employee stress levels.”

The research discovered that companies within the hospitality industry are least likely to provide any kind of guidance or aid to help employees deal with stress.

This was closely followed by the leisure sector, where 63 per cent of businesses are guilty of doing nothing to help.

Cao added: “Introducing measures that help to reduce stress or encourage positive coping methods need not be particularly involved or expensive – even free things as simple as introducing flexible working, considering requests to work from home from time to time, or enforcing one-two-ones with managers, to allow employees to discuss concerns and motivations, can go a long way to help.

“But ultimately, measures which tackle staff stress head-on work best – including gym membership or exercise classes, discounted or complimentary counselling and mental health services and even spa vouchers.”