Work-related stress is on the rise with more than one third (39 per cent) of New Zealand respondents saying their stress levels have been higher in the past year, in a global study of 16,000 professionals by workspace provider, Regus.
Commonly cited causes of work-related stress included long hours, heavy workloads, job insecurity and interpersonal conflicts.
The chief causes of stress among NZ workers surveyed was either workplace or finance related, with 54 per cent citing customers as the reason, 51 per cent saying it was personal finances and 39 per cent blaming their job. Factors related to home life rated much lower, with 21 per cent of respondents saying their partner/spouse created stress for them and 18 per cent saying their children were the cause.
"The heavy tolls of stress falls not only on workers and their families, but also on businesses as they find that their staff under-perform, need more sick-leave and are less efficient. Businesses that want to help their staff lead more rewarding lives cannot fail to analyse and tackle levels of stress within their organisation," said Filippo Sarti, Asia Pacific CEO and Global COO for Regus.
Management can provide the solution, he said. They need to create stress free environments and enable their teams to be productive. "This means making sure employees are in control of their workloads and fostering healthy team relationships and reducing wasted time such as long commutes," said Sarti.
