Stress levels in Australian workplaces among the highest as we battle constant interruptions and irritating colleagues

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 11:45:51 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/stress-levels-in-australian-workplaces-among-the-highest-as-we-battle-constant-interruptions-and-irritating-colleagues-215433>

"As more companies mandate the amount of time to be spent in the office,
employee stress levels are on the rise.

A recent study found 34% of employees reported lower mental health levels
compared to six months ago. Alarmingly, 37% also reported decreased levels of
engagement and sense of belonging.

So why might the return to the office be increasing employee stress? Research
indicates a combination of commuting, cost of living pressures, noisy open-plan
offices, work culture, interruptions, decreased autonomy and coworker relations
are contributing to workers feeling more stressed.

In Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2023 Report, the US and Canada
region along with East Asia tied for the highest level of stress at 52%, and
Australia and New Zealand had the second-highest rate at 47%. These results
maintain the record high set in 2021.

And an analysis of 382,000 employee exit interviews found reports of employee
burnout have almost doubled in the past year.

The return to the office appears to be a contributing factor with 52% of
employees preferring flexible/hybrid work to minimise mental health concerns.

So how might returning to the office be making employees more stressed?"

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

Comment via email

Home E-Mail Sponsors Index Search About Us