CHICAGO – Jun. 25, 2007 – The majority of employees report having high levels of stress, while less than half of managers think their workers are highly stressed, according to ComPsych’s StressPulse SM survey. ComPsych Corporation is the world’s largest provider of employee assistance programs and the worldwide leader in GuidanceResources (EAPs, behavioral health, work-life, wellness and crisis intervention services).

“The results of this study suggest managers may be kidding themselves in terms of their workers’ stress levels,” said Dr. Richard A. Chaifetz, chairman and CEO of ComPsych. “Employee stress is not always outwardly visible in the workplace. Rather, it often manifests itself in increased absences and reduced productivity.

“Managers should be attuned to employee workloads and stress levels, and should ensure employees are aware of available support services,” he added. “This can include employee assistance and work-life programs, which help employees better manage stress and work-life balance.”

HR managers were asked: Do you believe your workforce is stressed?

45 percent	Said employees have high levels of stress
42 percent	Said employees have constant but manageable stress levels
13 percent	Said employees have low stress levels

Employees’ StressPulse Results – First Half, 2007

Stress Levels		Point Change from 2H06
60 percent	Have high levels of stress, with extreme fatigue/feeling out of control	+5
33 percent	Have constant but manageable stress levels	-9
7 percent	Have low stress levels	+4
Work Priorities
57 percent	See accomplishing basic responsibilities as most important	0
25 percent	See being present as most important	0
18 percent	See performance improvement as most important	0
Causes of Stress
35 percent	Cite people issues	-1
37 percent	Cite workload	-1
18 percent	Cite juggling work and personal life	-4
10 percent	Cite lack of job security	+6
Impact of Stress Upon Daily Productivity
42 percent	Lose 1 hour or more per day in productivity due to stress	+2
35 percent	Lose 15 – 30 min. per day in productivity due to stress	-3
23 percent	Report productivity is unaffected by stress	+1
Impact of Stress Upon Attendance		Point Change from 2H06
49 percent	Miss 1 to 2 days per year due to stress	+2
30 percent	Miss 3 to 6 days per year due to stress	-3
21 percent	Miss more than 6 days per year due to stress	+1
Impact of Stress Upon Effectiveness
56 percent	Come to work 1 to 4 days per year when too stressed to be effective	+8
22 percent	Come to work 5 or more days per year when too stressed to be effective	-3
22 percent	Say stress does not impact effectiveness	-5
Impact of Personal Tasks Upon Daily Productivity
52 percent	Lose less than 30 min. per day due to personal tasks	-10
25 percent	Lose 30 min. per day due to personal tasks	+12
23 percent	Lose more than 1 hour per day due to personal tasks	-2
Most Common Reasons for Absences
40 percent	Cite stress and personal relationship issues	-6
41 percent	Cite medical reasons/illness (self)	+3
19 percent	Cite caregiving responsibilities	+3
Coping Strategies for Stress
62 percent	Take frequent “stress breaks” at work to talk with others	-4
28 percent	Work harder	+4
10 percent	Take a day off	0

The StressPulse survey was conducted from April 1 to May 2, 2007, receiving responses from employees of more than 1,000 ComPsych client companies nationwide.