October 25, 2011Employees Report They Are Too Stressed to Be Effective, According to ComPsych SurveyTwo-thirds of workers report high stress levels, affecting their ability to be productive
CHICAGO – Oct. 25, 2011 – Employees continue to be plagued by stress, with two-thirds claiming high stress levels and 29 percent coming to work too stressed to be effective on five or more days per year, according to the latest StressPulse(SM) survey by ComPsych. ComPsych Corporation is the world’s largest provider of employee assistance programs and is the pioneer and leader of fully integrated EAP, behavioral health, wellness, work-life, HR and FMLA administration services under the GuidanceResources brand.
“As the economy continues to sputter, organizations are still doing more with less and that can take a toll on workers,” said Dr. Richard A. Chaifetz, Chairman and CEO of ComPsych. “Many employees have reached a point of unprecedented burnout.
“Forward-thinking employers are seeking to alleviate stress and help employees get refocused by providing seminars on coping with stress as well as support through employee assistance and work-life programs,” he added.
Key Findings of StressPulse:
- Almost one-third (29 percent) of employees comes to work five or more days per year when too stressed to be effective, up from 19 percent in the same category last year.
- Workers continue to have sustained, high stress levels – 66 percent in this category, compared with 68 percent last year.
- Workload remains the top cause of stress, followed by people issues, juggling work/personal life and lack of job security.
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StressPulse Results – 2011 Stress Levels
| Point Change from 2010
| 66 percent
| Have high levels of stress, with extreme fatigue/feeling out of control
| -2
| 30 percent
| Have constant but manageable stress levels
| +3
| 4 percent
| Have low stress levels
| -1
|
| Work Priorities
|
| 60 percent
| See accomplishing basic responsibilities as most important
| +5
| 21 percent
| See performance improvement as most important
| +3
| 19 percent
| See being present as most important
| -8
|
| Causes of Stress
|
| 40 percent
| Cite workload
| +5
| 33 percent
| Cite people issues
| 0
| 18 percent
| Cite juggling work and personal life
| +6
| 9 percent
| Cite lack of job security
| -11
|
| Impact of Stress Upon Daily Productivity
|
| | 45 percent | Lose 15 – 30 min. per day in productivity due to stress | +13 | | 34 percent | Lose 1 hour or more per day in productivity due to stress | -10 | | 21 percent | Report productivity is unaffected by stress | -3 |
| | Impact of Stress Upon Attendance |
| | 52 percent | Miss 1 to 2 days per year due to stress | +1
| | 30 percent | Miss 3 to 6 days per year due to stress | +3
| | 18 percent | Miss more than 6 days per year due to stress | -4
|
| Impact of Stress Upon Effectiveness
|
| 47 percent
| Come to work 1 to 4 days per year when too stressed to be effective | -17
| | 29 percent | Come to work 5 or more days per year when too stressed to be effective | +10
| | 24 percent | Say stress does not impact effectiveness | +7
|
| | Impact of Personal Tasks Upon Daily Productivity |
| 39 percent
| Lose less than 30 min. per day due to personal tasks | -5
| 42 percent
| Lose 30 min. per day due to personal tasks | +5
| 19 percent
| Lose more than 1 hour per day due to personal tasks | 0
|
| Most Common Reasons for Absences
|
| | 48 percent | Cite stress and personal relationship issues | +2
| | 42 percent | Cite medical reasons/illness (self) | +7
| | 10 percent | Cite caregiving responsibilities | -9
|
| | Coping Strategies for Stress |
| | 52 percent | Take frequent “stress breaks” at work to talk with others | -10
| | 35 percent | Work harder | +9
| | 13 percent | Take a day off | +1
|
The StressPulse survey was conducted from Sept. 26 to Oct. 15 2011, receiving responses from employees of more than 1,500 ComPsych client companies nationwide.
About ComPsych
ComPsych® Corporation is the world’s largest provider of employee assistance programs (EAP) and is the pioneer and worldwide leader of fully integrated EAP, behavioral health, wellness, work-life, HR and FMLA administration services under the GuidanceResources® brand. ComPsych provides services to more than 17,000 organizations covering more than 45 million individuals throughout the U.S. and over 100 countries. By creating “Build-to-Suit” programs, ComPsych helps employers attract and retain employees, increase employee productivity and improve overall health and well-being. Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ComPsych.
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