Work Stress impacts personal lives of employees significantly!
Workforce State of Mind - Headspace - March 2024

Work Stress impacts personal lives of employees significantly!

??Nearly half of employees say the majority of their stress comes from work

This stress takes a considerable toll on employees’ health and happiness, creating challenges outside of the workplace that can have a lasting impact.

?? This bad stress is also driving a high rate of breakups and divorces: 71% of employees say work stress has caused a personal relationship to end.

?? The vast majority of employees (97%) report that their mental and emotional wellbeing has been negatively impacted by their manager in the past year. conversely, managers can also have a positive impact on employee mental health

?? Only 24% of HR leaders report that managers are required to take mental health specific training, according to a new interesting research published by Headspace in partnership with Dimensional Research using data ?? from a survey among 2,006 employees, 207 CEOs, and 245 HR leaders in the US and UK in January and February 2024.


?Work stress impacts employees' lives

Work stress impacts

Researchers found that nearly half (47%) of employees and two-thirds (66%) of CEOs say the majority of their stress or all of their stress comes from work, rather than from their personal lives.

Researchers found that work-related stress impacts:

? Negatively employee physical health

? Caused to gain weight

? Caused a personal relationship to end (break-ups, divorce, etc.)

39% of employees report that work has negatively impacted their ability to care for their family or children’s mental health, and 37% say it has contributed to serious mental health challenges, such as substance use or suicidal ideation.


???? Work can also have positive impacts on employee wellbeing: 53% of employees report that work helps them find a community of people with similar lived experiences, and 48% say work improves their confidence or sense of self. These positive impacts can drive deeper engagement at work and foster healthier workplace environments.


?Work impacts positively mental health

Positive impacts of work

Researchers found that work has positively impacted their personal lives.

??Majority of employees believe that work helped them find a community of people with similar backgrounds or lived experiences.

Despite a shift to remote work for many, people continue to see the workplace as a source of community and connection, whether they’re interacting with their co-workers face to face or online. Promisingly, this is true across generations as well.

?? All generations of workers report that the number one positive impact from work is community.


?The crucial role of managers on the mental health of employees

Positive and negative impacts of Managers on Mental Health

Researchers found that the vast majority of employees (97%) report that their mental and emotional wellbeing has been negatively impacted by their manager in the past year.

43% of employees say their managers have negatively impacted them by lacking an understanding of life outside or work or by treating team members unequally

?? Researchers believe that despite the potential that managers have to make a positive impact on their direct reports’ workplace experience, they’re often not well-prepared to support their employees.


??Finally researchers recommend that organizations move beyond a focus on “work-life balance” and instead, build a culture that fosters minimal work-life impact, empowering employees to set boundaries between work and personal life. They provide four tips below:

??Encourage employees to set healthy boundaries

In recognizing the impact that work stress can have on an individual’s personal life – including their relationships and their mental and physical health – it’s important to create an environment where employees feel comfortable creating space from work.

?? Make space in work schedules to support teams in creating those boundaries

When organizations identify time that employees can take to focus or to care for themselves, it helps employees better understand how they can set these boundaries for themselves.

??Create opportunities for flexibility in and outside of work

Managers should make it clear when employees are expected to be available and when there is flexibility (for example, whether they are required to participate in virtual meetings on or off camera). Invite open communication so employees feel comfortable speaking up and asking for flexibility or specific accommodations when they may need extra support.

??Offer comprehensive mental health benefits to meet employees where they are.

Work stress has a larger impact on employees’ personal lives when employers don’t offer comprehensive mental health benefits.


?? ???? ???????????????? ????????:

This fascinating research demonstrates that the impact of work stress goes beyond the workplace, having a substantial impact on overall health. We must not confuse work and good stress, which allows us to flourish at work and is an essential element of well-being. On the other hand, bad stress, as demonstrated, is very harmful for both professional and private life.


Thank you ?? Headspace Dimensional Research researchers team for these insightful findings: Karan Singh Russell Glass

Dave Ulrich

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Daria Nikitina

Talent Acquisition Specialist, Bunny.net | Human-Centric Culture | Nurturing Ambitions & Building Relationships | HR Expert in IT Recruitment

7 个月

Some staggering statistics, I don't think people take into account the impact that stress can have on aspects of your life that are outside of work. Stress has an overwhelming impact on overall health, and HR teams and managers must help their employees set work-life boundaries!

Christina Atef

Medical science liaison at Servier Egypt

7 个月

Yes stress destroys mental & physical health as well as social activities, it drains the employees & is a thief of creativity

By fostering a culture of open communication, offering mental health resources, and encouraging regular breaks and flexible work arrangements. Providing training on stress management and promoting a supportive community within the workplace can also enhance overall well-being.

Jos van Snippenberg

Unlocking employee potential with real-time people analytics: Empowering HR & leaders to enhance employee experience, save time, and cultivate a culture of high performance and well-being through proactive ownership

7 个月

Nicolas BEHBAHANI thanks for sharing these insights. The impact of work-related stress is becoming stronger and stronger. In my experience companies enormously struggle to put their fingers on the root cause. Happily they increased over the years the willingness to measure employee sentiment. About 60% of the companies do something like a yearly measurement survey. What I see is that these surveys have less credibility and are seen as "tick of the box" exercises. To succeed in reducing work related stress companies can succeed by creating a renewed foundation for working together. From "competence" in exchange for a "job role & salary" to a relationship where there is mutual committment for value creation. The company commits to shape the right conditions for the employee to help them grow, perform and matter as a human being and in work life. The employee commits to deliver value to customers, colleagues and the company as a whole. This requires a personalised approach to every employee to secure they feel safe, find meaning, be significant and find a sense of belonging.

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Dr. Bhanukumar Parmar

Industry Veteran | Exploring Future of Work | Great Manager’s Coach & Mentor

7 个月

?? Insightful research, YES, work-related stress can have impact on both professional, personal lives (family, friends) Thanks for sharing Nicolas BEHBAHANI ?? ?? One cannot clap with one hand - Can be done by both Org. & Employees. ?Organizations are / can address by Implementing policies, procedures & practices like: (1) Maintaining a healthy work-life balance through initiatives such as limiting work hours & after-hours communication, compulsory 45 minutes lunch break (people are not having their full lunch) (2) Providing free time within work hours for focused tasks, & offering flexible time for work-from-office. (3) Offering comprehensive mental health benefits to support employees in managing stress & maintaining well-being (4) Providing Managers with training & facilitating regular check-ins, & (5) Fostering a culture of active listening & collaboration are essential steps in promoting employee well-being and productivity. ? Employees - Practice holistic wellness & healthy life-style, Set boundaries, Take regular breaks, Prioritize, Learn Time Mgt., Collaborate, Seek support & Talk to Managers openly. ?? I liked the comprehensive Blueprint by Dave Ulrich.

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