Careers
60% of Irish working professionals report workplace stress, and a third say they experience stress very often, with the pandemic and its aftermath emerging as a clear trigger of work-related stress
Irish workers are stressed, says a new workplace poll. Two thousand Irish workers were surveyed and 60% stated they have suffered from some form of workplace-related stress this year.
2023 represents a particularly difficult time for Irish employees. Thousands of jobs have been lost across the financial services industry, including 813 at the now-departed Ulster Bank, on top of a previous cull in 2022.
As far back as 2020, Deloitte Ireland forecast that Irish retail banks are likely to cut 20-30% of jobs (or around 7,650 positions) over the five years to 2025, as the effects of the pandemic moved more transactions online, and lenders rein in costs.
It’s no wonder then that 60% of Irish professionals report that they suffer from workplace related stress, and 46% say that their concerns over job stability are the biggest trigger.
Only 9% of Irish workers say that they have not experienced any form of “recurring stress”, or stress symptoms experienced more than three times for seven or more days at a time. However, on the flipside, a third of workers stated that they felt this way “very often”.
The pandemic and its aftermath is a clear trigger of work-related stress, but there are other factors too. Twenty-three percent of Irish working professionals report that they are under more pressure from management, with 13% saying they’ve more on their plates this year.
The cost of living crisis is biting too, with 19% saying the lack of a pay rise is contributing to their woes.
So what can be done?
Despite Irish employers increasing their spend on wellness initiatives since the pandemic, a big 55% of professionals still think that their employer is not doing enough to combat stress in the workplace.
Workers say it is down to their bosses to manage workplace stress too. HR and senior leaders should be shouldering the burden, according to 45% of professionals.
According to the poll’s authors, “Simple interventions such as making sure workloads are manageable, setting realistic deadlines and making sure employees have access to support, safe spaces and relevant resources, can all help to alleviate pressure in the workplace as well as professionals’ day-to-day work life.”
They added that “Employers must strike the balance between not breaking the bank or piling pressure onto managers to solve workplace stress but still being proactive and listening to the needs of their employees”.
So if long work hours, heavy workloads, tight deadlines, unclear job expectations, job insecurity, and workplace conflicts are giving you anxiety, it could be time to look for a new job. A great place to start your search is the IFSC Job Board, which contains thousands of exciting opportunities.
By Kirstie McDermott