Work and money to blame for rising stress

12 Sep 2012, 3:28 pm   -   Source: AAP

A new survey has found work and money are the top causes of stress for Australians.

Work and money are the top causes of stress for Australians, a survey has found.

And workplace stress is on the rise with 38 per cent of those quizzed saying their stress levels have increased in the past year.

Global workspace provider Regus studied 16,000 people around the world, asking them about the level and causes of stress in their lives.

Of the 431 Australians, 49 per cent cited personal finances as the top cause of stress while 48 per cent said their job was the leading cause.

Commonly listed causes of work-related stress included long hours, heavy workloads, job insecurity and conflicts with colleagues.

Only 17 per cent said their partner or spouse caused them stress and only 14 per cent listed their children as a cause.

Regus Australia boss Jacqueline Lehmann says the heavy toll of stress falls not only on workers and their families but also on businesses as staff underperform, need more sick leave and are less efficient.

"When it comes to the solution a lot of it comes down to managers who need to create stress-free environments and enable their teams to be productive," she said.

"This means making sure employees are in control of their workloads and fostering healthy team relationships and reducing wasted time such as long commutes."

When asked about how to cut stress, two-thirds of Australians in the survey called for workers to be given more choice and power in how and where they work.

They also believe the same approach will help businesses cut costs and improve productivity.

"Giving employees tools that allow them to work from home more or from locations outside the office, or enabling more suitable hours, can be an effective way to reduce stress," Ms Lehmann said.

"It can also help people be more efficient and a productive person feels more happy and secure in their job."

  • Follow us: 
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on Youtube