A recent survey by Staples Business Advantage of more than 1,900 office workers shows how difficult it is in some instances for employers to significantly reduce stress among their employees, but it also hints at some potential solutions.
For starters, 41 percent of workers say they're burnt out. A larger percentage — 67 percent — say that their workplace has produced some amount of stress in their life.
Some of that stress is because of the perception that the workload is too great; 70 percent say they work more than 40 hours a week.
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It's not clear whether those who are putting in overtime are typically more motivated than those who aren't, but other responses from workers to the survey suggests that a large percentage of feel nailed to their desks. Half say they don't feel they can get up for a break during the workday and 53 percent report eating lunch at their desks.
Companies are increasingly touting telecommuting and flexible work hours as a way to reduce employee stress, and such solutions undoubtedly prove helpful to many struggling to balance work and family obligations.
But there's only so much flexible work arrangements can do to ease stress if the stress is caused by the sheer amount of work. The survey suggested that is often the case: 49 percent of employees say that they worked after hours because they were unable to finish their work in the typical work day of eight hours.
Would overworked employees appreciate taking their work home? The survey suggests not: Two-thirds of employees say they are most productive at the office.
So what can employers do to help their stressed workers out? Staples Business Advantage suggests that creating more-pleasant office environments as well as offering wellness programs can go a long way.
As evidence, it highlights that 62 percent of respondents said that the existence of a wellness program could motivate them to choose a job, even though less than half of employees report that their organization has such an initiative.
Similarly, a majority describe their office environment as dull and plain, and 43 percent say they would like to see their employer take steps to improve the workplace design.
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