March 20, 2019 Common Causes of Workplace Stress

Manufacturing is one of the least stressful sectors in the UK.

March 20, 2019

It’s safe to say that everyone experiences stress at some point in their lifetime, with a 2018 report stating that 74% of the UK felt too overwhelmed or stressed to cope. Whilst nearly all of us go through moments of feeling stressed, it doesn’t make it any easier and this stat is a sign that we need to start understanding and acknowledging our stresses more, in order to tackle and reduce them.

Stress can derive from a variety of factors, from work, family, relationships, financial issues and plenty more. Stress can emerge to varying degrees of intensity and impacts every single person differently. Whilst a little bit of stress can be harmless, ongoing feelings of it will not only have an impact on your day-to-day life, but will affect you both physically and mentally.

So what are the common causes of stress in the UK?

Protectivity has analysed the stress levels of residents across the country to find out the main causes of stress and the most stressed generations and professions. With mental health being talked about more and more, it’s time to crack down on what is really stressing out ournation. You can see the full research findings here.

Work is one of the UK’s main causes of stress, with a staggering 595,000 workers suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety. These high figures lead to even greater statistics that show 15.4 million working days lost in 2017-2018, due to work-related stress. Based on the research findings, people between the age of 35-44 came out as feeling the most stressed about work, which suggests people that are perhaps well into their career and are now given greater responsibility and even managerial roles. Work stresses derive from numerous factors including too much work, lack of support, bullying and changes.

Are some professions causing more stress than others?

Our survey revealed a huge difference in stress levels across different industries, with results appearing nearly three times higher in some sectors compared to others. Coming in as the most stressed industry was HR, who had shocking results showing 78% of people working in the sector experience stress on a daily basis. The legal sector came 2nd with 63% and Retail, Catering & Leisure came out as the 3rd most stressful career choice according to the survey.

Interestingly, manufacturing came in as the least stressed industry to work in, with just 34% of people feeling stressed on a daily basis. Whilst this is still a figure to be tackled and brought down, the low percentage is impressive, particularly when looking at other industries such as Education and Healthcare, all which score over 50%. Funnily, working in the manufacturing sector comes in as even less stressful than not working at all, impressive right?

The manufacturing industry in the UK is both large and diverse in the roles and opportunities it offers. Being the world’s eighth largest manufacturing nation and set to break into the top five by 2021, the industry is an immensely exciting sector to work in as it is both prosperous financially, but also mutually beneficial for its employees with the vast majority of them not feeling stressed when they go to work every day. The industry directly employs 2.6 billion people, with the average employee earning an average of £32,500. This is above the average UK annual salary which came in last year as £29,588 , which could have an impact on stress levels as finances are another major cause of stress in the UK.

Another large benefit of the manufacturing industry is the variety it offers, as the sector covers many other industries, with some of the most popular being in food and beverage, transportation, chemicals and construction. The diversity provided in this sector allows more freedom for employees to pursue a career in a specific industry they are interested in. In addition, manufacturing has been greatly impacted by technology, with the likes of artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) reducing the stress of major tasks significantly, as machinery can ensure better accuracy and speed. This has really taken the pressure of employees and as a result impacted their stress levels for the better.

Will you be changing your career to lead a less-stressed life?

About Protectivity:
Protectivity is a specialist in niche commercial, leisure and lifestyle insurance covering thousands of small to medium size businesses across the UK and offering a range of tailored insurance products to protect customers against unforeseen events.

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