Top reasons for work-related stress in 2018

Christmas is just a few weeks away and the regular stress and worries about work have washed away under the festive spirit. However, the past 11 months haven’t been a walk in the park. For most of us, it included a lot of stress from work, life and family.

Recent figures from the Health and Safety Executive show that almost 600,000 workers are suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2018. Simultaneously, 15.4 million working days were lost due to work-related stress this year.

With this year coming to an end, Reboot Digital Marketing Agency decided to investigate what are the most common reasons Brits felt stress at work in 2018 and the ways in which they’ve decided to deal with it.

A survey asking 1,274 Brits about the most common work stressors they had in 2018 have revealed the following:

The top work stress Brits had was an excessive workload, with 84 per cent saying this was the biggest cause of worry for them this year. Unrealistic expectations came second at 79 per cent, as employees feel overwhelmed by the need to constantly impress their superiors. 76 per cent of those taking part in the survey have been bothered by a co-worker’s lack of competence, while 72 per cent struggle to find a work-life balance.

Other stressors that made the list were: lack of progression opportunities, lack of job security and a negative company culture.

When it comes to the ways in which we dealt with stress at work this year, the results show the following:

• Complaining to another person: 76 per cent said they destress when moaning to a friend, family member or co-worker.
• Taking frequent toilet breaks: 70 per cent get away from their workspace, during work hours.
• Search for a new job: 66 per cent actively search for a new role in their free time.
• Work from home: 44 per cent have asked to escape the office completely in order to de-stress, by working in their own home environment.

Other ways Brits dealt with work-related stress in 2018 include: seeking help for emotional stress(anxiety/depression), they simply stopped caring and taking regular baths to destress.