UK workers more 'stressed and exhausted'

UK workers feel more stressed out and exhausted than they were seven years ago, with a knock-on-effect of less efficient businesses, according to a new study out today.

Performance and stress and management consultancy Hunter Kane, has been comparing psychometric data which it gathered to test the mental, physical and emotional well-being of employees.

The test results, which also covered senior executives, were collected between 1997 and 2002.

Around half of the 1,250 employees questioned in 2002 claimed they did not get an adequate amount of sleep, an increase of 56% since the same number was tested 1997.

Hunter Kane added that the majority had described themselves as 'tired and worried', and almost half, 49%, confessed to feeling 'downright exhausted'.

Serious news
Chris Sawicki, managing director of Hunter Kane, said: "This is very serious news for British business and we urge all companies to investigate the true situation in their own organisations, and take action if they are not already doing so."

The study also revealed that the number of workers who felt that their concentration levels were "as good as ever" had dropped by 31%. There was also a 27% increase in the number who felt a conflict between the demands of work and their home life.

Chris Sawicki added: "Clearly, the pressures on business caused by the economic climate and world events over the past few years have taken their toll.

"The trends towards longer working hours, increased personal debt, double-income families and greater corporate accountability has resulted in a workforce that is frankly suffering from stress, exhaustion and a lack of self-esteem."

Family friendly
Meanwhile, a new campaigning group has called for more family friendly working hours. The charity organisation Working Families aims to help working parents benefit from a "better balance" between home and work.

Working Families chief executive Sarah Jackson said: "We know that long working hours are no good for business or productivity, and that they damage our health and family life. It's time for a new family friendly working agenda to match the changing face of British family life.

"We want to see more opportunities for people to work flexibly, more flexible care services and an end to the long hours culture, which means that a third of fathers hardly see their children during the working week."

According to the Daycare Trust, one-third of fathers spend more than 50 hours a week at work, compared with a only a quarter of men without children doing equivalent jobs.

Working Families, which was formed following the merger of two work-life balance campaign groups Parents at Work and New Ways to Work, also offers support and advice to employers wishing to introduce more family-friendly workplaces.

Max Herd