A Trades Union Congress (TUC) study has revealed that stress at work has reached a record high, and is now one of the top health and safety concerns across UK workplaces.
In their 11th biennial survey of over 1,000 UK safety representatives, 70% cited stress as the main hazard to workers, especially for those employees in the public sector most affected by Government cuts. This was up 3% from the last survey, and higher than in any previous TUC study.
The problem has increased across all UK regions and countries. Northern Ireland was most affected, with a 13% rise to 78% over the last two years in the number of safety reps who identified stress as the number one problem. Other areas that registered increases were the North of England (up by 11% to 78%) and Scotland (up by 8% to 74%). The top three professions which highlighted stress as a key issue in the workplace were central government (93%), education (89%) and health services (82%).
In addition to stress, other prevalent hazards were bullying and harassment, overwork, back strains and long hours at work. In fact, violence and threats saw the largest percentage point increase (up from 19% to 24%).
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: "The message from the shop floor is clear: stress is becoming a bigger and bigger problem. Pressures of long working hours and low job security are being felt in workplaces across the UK.
"It’s in no one's interests to have overstretched workforces. People who experience high anxiety are less productive and are more likely to take time off. Stress is preventable if staff have reasonable workloads, supportive managers and a workplace free from violence, bullying and harassment."
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