Contractors are unlikely to be surprised to hear that British employees in the 18 to 29 age group are suffering from high levels of workplace stress and they believe they are been forced to bear the brunt of the credit crisis recovery.
GfK NOP Engage, the market research agency, discovered that 40% of 18 to 29 year olds are stressed at work, compared to 25% of those aged above 60. Two fifths of young workers say their employer justifies increasing their workload because of the tough economic climate.
This increased workplace pressure is negatively impacting on young workers’ health and wellbeing, with many reporting that they are concerned about their work-life balance.
The report studied 29 nations and found that the UK ranked 17th in the way employers engage with young workers. Macedonia, Mexico and Turkey were among the countries that ranked higher than the UK!
GfK NOP Engage director, Sukhi Ghataore, said businesses that look on young employees as cheap and expendable may live to pay the price.
A recent study by the CMI suggests that it’s not only young people who are suffering from work-related stress. The Institute surveyed 2,000 employees, of all ages, and 55% said their manager does not possess sufficient ability or the right level of confidence to be successful at his or her job.
40% said their boss’s behaviour added to stress levels and a worryingly high 74% have to make decisions that they do not feel qualified to make.
61% of employees have wanted to ask their manager for assistance in decision making recently but say they have not been given the opportunity. This had led to 23% frequently worrying about making work decisions, 32% have lost respect for their boss and 10% have had to cover up their mistakes.
It is obvious that managers have to do more to fulfil the needs of their teams if UK PLC is going to thrive.
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Image: Stress by Dave-F
