Work Stress Takes Its Toll

More than half the nation's workforce feels so tense at the end of their working day they reach for the bottle - a survey has revealed

. In the survey of 3000 employees by leading healthcare cash plan provider Medicash, one in ten Brits admitted to hitting the bottle most days and 53% said that they often needed a drink at the end of the day.

Those in small businesses are also 50% more likely to take time off work as a result of stress. But despite being exposed to higher stress levels, their employers aren't providing them with the support they need to cope. The survey showed that employees in large organisations are twice as likely to have access to free or subsidised gym membership, telephone counselling and face to face counselling.

Medicash chief executive Sue Weir said: "Small amounts of pressure at work can enhance our performance but if that pressure becomes unremitting it can seriously affect our health. Regularly feeling stressed can lead to sickness, long term absenteeism and even a dependence on alcohol or drugs. Incorporating healthy eating and exercise into your daily routine and talking to someone about how you feel can help towards counteracting the effects of stress."

Encouraging employees to take a preventative approach to their own health by putting initiatives in place to help them manage their stress levels is proven to have a positive effect on a company's bottom line.' Small business workers are more likely to claim that they have been bullied at work, while work worries cause sleepless nights for many with one in five claiming that they have trouble sleeping at least one night every week.

More than half those surveyed said that they had been driven to tears at work and twelve percent had even gone as far as quitting a job when the stress became too much to handle. Perhaps most worrying is the fact that almost a third of workers say that they bottle up their feelings because they don't want people to see that they are under pressure.

Medicash's Sue Weir added: 'With so many people hiding their stress levels, turning to drink and taking time off as a result of stress it's more important than ever that employers promote dialogue as well as providing tools to help employees manage their stress levels. This needn't cost the earth and there are a number of simple and cost effective solutions such as free gym memberships and telephone counselling services which demonstrate an employers' commitment to the emotional wellbeing of their employees.

by: Paul Myers.

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