By Charlotte Beugge ...

Shrinking workforces lead to stress for those remaining

By Charlotte Beugge

 

Half of all employees say they are more stressed at work than they were a year ago, according to a research published this week and reported in Health Insurance magazine.

A third of employees say they are having to take time off work because they are exhausted, while 20% say they are stressed, the research by insurer Canada Life found.

The reason for the increased ill-health of workers is said to be down to heavier workloads caused by staff being laid off. A third of those interviewed said that smaller workforces were still having to do the same amount of work as before the job cuts. And those in work are making themselves ill with worry that they’ll lose their jobs.

More than a quarter (27%) of respondents said that they were too scared to take time off work when they were ill in case it counted against them if their employer made further job cuts. As a result of these pressures, nearly half of employees (47%) say they are more stressed than this time last year.

Paul Avis, director of sales and marketing at Canada Life Group Insurance said that the survey results show that it is important for employee wellbeing and companies' bottom lines that support mechanisms are in place to help staff manage their workload and stress levels, and monitor their health and wellbeing.