Almost two-thirds of Irish employees suffer from workplace stress, poll finds

Katie Mellett

Three in five employees have said their mental health has declined this year as a result of workplace stress, a poll has found.

Despite Irish employers spending millions on wellness initiatives every year, 55 per cent of professionals still think that their employer is not doing enough to combat stress in the workplace.

According to a poll of 2,000 Irish workers by recruitment firm Robert Walters, 60 per cent of professionals said they have suffered from some form of workplace-related stress this year.

When asked how often they feel this way, a third said very often, with a further 27 per cent stating somewhat often, and 31 per cent identified it as happening sometimes. Just 9 per cent said they had not experienced any form of reoccurring stress at work this year.

Concerns over job stability were the most common trigger for 45 per cent of people surveyed. This was followed by more pressure from management for 23 per cent, lack of a pay rise for 19 per cent and taking on a heftier workload this year for 13 per cent.

When asked whose responsibility it was to manage workplace stress, 45 per cent of professionals said it was down to HR and senior leaders, 34 per cent said line managers and only one fifth said it was down to the individual.

However, less than a fifth of professionals feel employers are doing enough, a further 27 per cent feel some efforts have been made, but they are lacking and 55 per cent state that employers simply aren’t doing enough.

Wellness initiatives

Suzanne Feeney, country manager of Robert Walters Ireland, said: “Irish employers spend an estimated €100 to €200 per employee on wellness initiatives & benefits every year – but our survey indicates they may only be applying a band-aid.”

“Simple interventions such as making sure workloads are manageable, setting realistic deadlines and making sure employees have access to support, safe spaces and relevant resources, can all help to alleviate pressure in the workplace as well as professionals’ day-to-day work life.”

Long work hours, heavy workloads, tight deadlines, unclear job expectations, job insecurity and conflicts with colleagues or supervisors are all factors which contribute towards workplace stress.

Workplace stress can snowball into higher turnover rates, levels of employee burnout, absenteeism and lower levels of productivity. Of those surveyed, 51 per cent identified their company’s output as high, with almost a quarter noting it was of a low quality.