More than One-third of Employees Say “People Issues” Cause the Most Stress at Work
CHICAGO – Oct. 22, 2019 – Some 36 percent of employees say people issues cause them the most heartburn at work, according to the 2019 StressPulseSM survey, released today by ComPsych®. In addition, 20 percent of employees say stress is causing them to miss six or more days per year. ComPsych Corporation is the world’s largest provider of employee assistance programs and is the pioneer and worldwide leader of fully integrated EAP, behavioral health, wellness, work-life, HR, FMLA and absence management services under its GuidanceResources brand.
“Given that it’s an employee market today, many organizations are experiencing increased turnover,” said Dr. Richard A. Chaifetz, Founder, Chairman and CEO of ComPsych. “This can cause employees to be more stressed given their changing roles, shifting teams and the need to do more with fewer resources.”
Key Findings:
- 36 percent of employees say “people issues” are their greatest cause of stress at work, up 5 points from the previous year.
- 20 percent of employees are missing more than six days per year due to stress, up 3 points from the previous year.
- Overall stress levels remain high, with 61 percent of employees saying stress is causing feelings of fatigue and being out of control.
StressPulse Results
Stress Levels
61% Have high levels of stress, with extreme fatigue/feeling out of control
34% Have constant but manageable stress levels
5% Have low stress levels
Work Priorities
57% See accomplishing basic responsibilities as most important
27% See being present as most important
16% See performance improvement as most important
Causes of Stress at Work
39% Cite workload
36% Cite people issues
14% Cite juggling work and personal life
7% Cite lack of job security
4% None of the above (I'm not stressed)
Causes of Stress at Home
25% Financial issues
22% Family, friends or relationship issues
21% Juggling work with personal life
14% Personal to-do list
8% Health issues
10% None of the above (I'm not stressed)
Impact of Stress Upon Daily Productivity
41% Lose 15-30 min. per day in productivity due to stress
37% Lose 1 hour or more per day in productivity due to stress
22% Report productivity is unaffected by stress
Impact of Stress Upon Attendance
53% Miss 1 to 2 days per year due to stress
27% Miss 3 to 6 days per year due to stress
20% Miss more than 6 days per year due to stress
Impact of Stress Upon Effectiveness
47% Come to work 1 to 4 days per year when too stressed to be effective
28% Come to work 5 or more days per year when too stressed to be effective
25% Say stress does not impact effectiveness
Impact of Personal Tasks Upon Daily Productivity
64% Lose less than 30 min. per day due to personal tasks
18% Lose 30 min. per day due to personal tasks
18% Lose more than 1 hour per day due to personal tasks
Most Common Reasons for Absences
39% Cite medical reasons/illness (self)
37% Cite stress and personal relationship issues
24% Cite caregiving responsibilities
Coping Strategies for Stress
55% Take frequent "stress breaks" at work to talk with others
35% Work harder
10% Take a day off
About ComPsych
ComPsych® Corporation is the world’s largest provider of mental health services and GuidanceResources® for life. Fueled by a commitment to relentless innovation and a comprehensive approach to care, ComPsych provides services to more than 78,000 organizations and 163 million individuals across 200 countries. Under our GuidanceResources® brand, our personalized and fully integrated programs include behavioral health, absence management, and wellness journeys, which empower employees to lead healthier and more productive lives, while driving organizational excellence. Visit compsych.com to find out why 40% of the Fortune 500 choose ComPsych for their mental health needs.