Thu, 3 Jun 2010

Extreme stress on rise

One in four employees dreads going back to work on a Monday, a major report by health charity Mind has revealed. Employees were questioned about their levels of anxiety and more than 26% said they felt dread and apprehension the day before going back to the office.

Respondents reported being physically sick on Sunday evenings at the thought of going into work on a Monday morning and having panic attacks on the train on the way into work.

The report also found that workplace stress is at an alltime high due to bullying in the workplace and job security worries. Some 20% of employees surveyed said they had called in sick because of unimaginable stress levels, according to research.

Mind’s chief executive, Paul Farmer, said: ‘Working conditions have been incredibly tough and the emotional fallout of the recession doesn’t just centre around people who have lost their jobs but on those who are struggling to cope with the extra demands of working harder, longer hours, under more pressure.’

The number of people who said they had left their job due to stress rose from the 2004 figure of 6% to 8% by 2008.