A result of greater demands by companies, a difficult and competitive market and tight deadlines, nearly three quarters of Canadian employees say they are more and more stressed by their work.
58% of Canadian workers are affected daily by stress at work and 70% believe that this pressure has increased over the last five years. This is what a new Accountemps survey reveals, conducted by an independent firm among 400 employees and 270 financial managers in the country. The real problem is that there is a gap between reality and leaders’ vision, since only 21% of financial managers recognize that their staff is stressed.
Young people feel more pressure, with 60% of 18-34 year olds saying they are stressed at work, compared to 55% for those 55 years old and more. The most affected provinces are Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Colombia. To combat this stress, the means chosen by individuals are physical exercise (yoga, walking, running), time spent with those around them, hobbies such as gardening and reading, music and vacations.
Actions to be implemented by managers
The main causes of stress cited are workload, successive deadlines, work-life balance and the unrealistic expectations of managers. And since these levels of anxiety can have an impact not only on the atmosphere within the company but also on productivity and therefore earnings, Accountemps gives advice to managers to improve the situation. Begin by helping employees manage their priorities, by talking with them individually and calling on temporary staff for work overloads. Offering resources such as webinars on stress management, yoga courses, or relaxation rooms is another relatively simple solution to implement. Finally, social activities and a relaxed atmosphere can help employees cope with their stress better.