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Downturn causes worker stress increase
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Downturn causes worker stress increase
Businesses fear a loss of productivity will result from staff stressing about the economic downturn and increased workloads as companies axe staff, a survey has found.
A workplace survey by international recruitment firm Robert Half has found 66 per cent of Australian businesses predict stress levels will rise significantly during the course of this year.
Sixty-three per cent of the 404 respondents put concerns about the economy as the main driver of stress, followed by excessive work load due to understaffing and layoffs (60 per cent).
"Stress is one of the easiest but most costly workplace issues to ignore,`` Robert Half director Andrew Brushfield said.
"This is partly because staff don`t like to admit to being stressed and managers find it hard to know when and how to alleviate staff from the worries that burden them.``
He said stress is also a difficult cost to measure which often means that employers are likely to ignore it.
But 64 per cent believe poorly managed stress situations result in lower morale, while 43 per cent said it produces a lower quality of work, both of which can significantly impact a company`s bottom line.
Some employers are already counting the cost of workplace stress, with 39 per cent of respondents rating a decrease in productivity as the most significant cost to their business due to stress related issues in the workplace.
"Decreased productivity is a serious and costly symptom of workplace stress,`` Mr Brushfield said.
"Employers need to put measures in place to manage the bottom-line impacts of this issue and at the same time, ensure the wellbeing of their staff.``
Almost half of the Australian businesses surveyed said they were taking steps to help employees tackle stress-related problems.
In contrast, just 18 per cent of companies globally are offering help to their workers.
"It`s true that some employees thrive on deadlines and a degree of stress to get their work done. But this doesn`t apply to all employees,`` Mr Brushfield said.
"Companies must find the balance between positive tension and energy which can enhance productivity and high stress levels which can impede it.``
AAP
Source:
http://www.smh.com.au/executive-style/management/downturn-causes-worker-stress-i
A workplace survey by international recruitment firm Robert Half has found 66 per cent of Australian businesses predict stress levels will rise significantly during the course of this year.
Sixty-three per cent of the 404 respondents put concerns about the economy as the main driver of stress, followed by excessive work load due to understaffing and layoffs (60 per cent).
"Stress is one of the easiest but most costly workplace issues to ignore,`` Robert Half director Andrew Brushfield said.
"This is partly because staff don`t like to admit to being stressed and managers find it hard to know when and how to alleviate staff from the worries that burden them.``
He said stress is also a difficult cost to measure which often means that employers are likely to ignore it.
But 64 per cent believe poorly managed stress situations result in lower morale, while 43 per cent said it produces a lower quality of work, both of which can significantly impact a company`s bottom line.
Some employers are already counting the cost of workplace stress, with 39 per cent of respondents rating a decrease in productivity as the most significant cost to their business due to stress related issues in the workplace.
"Decreased productivity is a serious and costly symptom of workplace stress,`` Mr Brushfield said.
"Employers need to put measures in place to manage the bottom-line impacts of this issue and at the same time, ensure the wellbeing of their staff.``
Almost half of the Australian businesses surveyed said they were taking steps to help employees tackle stress-related problems.
In contrast, just 18 per cent of companies globally are offering help to their workers.
"It`s true that some employees thrive on deadlines and a degree of stress to get their work done. But this doesn`t apply to all employees,`` Mr Brushfield said.
"Companies must find the balance between positive tension and energy which can enhance productivity and high stress levels which can impede it.``
AAP
Source:
http://www.smh.com.au/executive-style/management/downturn-causes-worker-stress-i
