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Did you have broken sleep last night, thinking about the day that lay ahead? If so, you’re not alone. Seventeen per cent of people regularly lose sleep due to work pressures, a study commissioned by One4all Rewards has found.
A significant number of UK workers admit that work is negatively affecting their health and wellbeing, causing unnecessary suffering and also leading to a substantial loss of productivity.
The study of 2,000 full and part time UK workers, published in The Health in the Workplace Report by One4all Rewards , highlights the importance of employers making a conscious effort to look after the welfare of their workers.
The results showed:
- 23% of workers underperform due to work-related illness and stress
- 11% of employees have suffered work-related illness in the last year
- 17% regularly lose sleep due to work pressures
- 22% estimated that a positive work environment would increase their output by 10%
Declan Byrne, managing director of One4all Rewards, said: “In order to create more positive working environments, businesses need to consider how they can incentivise better behaviours.
“Putting out the right messages about working habits and rewarding people with health-enhancing benefits, such as fitness activities, duvet days and creating the right facilities in the office can make commercial sense as well as being good corporate behaviour.”
Worryingly, only 6% of workers felt that work actually had a positive impact on their health and wellbeing, indicating how few UK employees find work a positive and enjoyable experience.
Declan Byrne said: “These are worrying findings for everyone. Not only are many workers feeling increasingly stretched and unhappy, but their employers are also losing out, as stressed-out workers significantly underperform.
“Recent studies have shown how 80% of white collar workers in the UK currently work over 40 hours per week and also that developments in technology mean that it is getting harder and harder to switch off when not in the office.
“This report indicates the importance employers should be placing on workplace wellness – not only out of a sense of corporate responsibility, but also as a way to boost productivity and give them a competitive edge when recruiting and retaining the best staff.”
Workers in London are the worst affected according to the research, with 33% admitting that their work is suffering as they are, compared to the national average of 23%.
Those workers most likely to be in relatively junior positions (those aged between 25 and 35), are also feeling the pressure, with 30% admitting their performance was below par.
Meanwhile the worst affected sectors are IT, PR and Marketing, with 37% of workers reporting reduced productivity as a result of poor health or stress.
To read the full Health in the Workplace report and to find out more about One4all Rewards visit the website: www.one4allrewards.co.uk/ .
Published: 10-06-15
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