Nearly half of working days lost due to job stress

Concern has been raised over the state of workers’ mental health as statistics show 45% of working days were lost in 2015-16 due to work related stress. With 488,000 cases of work related anxiety and depression during that timeframe, outsourced call centre Callcare has teamed up with experts across a variety of fields to try and tackle the seemingly growing national problem.

Stress Awareness Month will take place this April, and the contact centre is hoping to use the period to outline ways to combat the crisis. Perfecting office surroundings, drinking more water, as well as investing in management are covered in Callcare’s report.

While stress and anxiety is a growing concern as it becomes more commonplace in conversation, the public still have misconceptions and misinformation on the dangers of stress, according to Callcare, which is using the month to teach workers coping strategies inside and outside of the office. The company is concerned that managers aren’t doing enough to help minimise pressure for workers and provide support, and creating a stable working environment is the first step in making a difference.

“Stress Awareness Month is just one month out of 12; we believe that stress reduction tactics should be employed with the long term in mind,” said Gemma Harding, head of corporate services at Callcare. “On the surface it may look great that your staff are staying at their desks through lunch or juggling multiple tasks at once, but underneath it will be having a negative effect on their health, and the wider productivity of the company.”

“Looking after members of staff isn’t just the right thing to do, it also makes good business sense,” she continued, trying to remind employers that stress related illness can cause “long term absences, lower levels of employee engagement and increased chances that staff will leave.”

You can find their full report here for more information.