Employees are more stressed than a year ago and management failure to address this could have a prolonged impact on productivity.  This is the conclusion from research released today by Investors in People UK, the organisation that works with companies to improve productivity.
The research, which was conducted by YouGov, reveals over a third (38%) of employees in the UK say stress levels at work are higher than a year ago, yet less than one in three (29%) believe their organisation is doing anything to help them manage this
Worryingly, managers may not only be failing to deal with workplace stress, they could be making matters worse.  Nearly half (43%) of stressed employees  said a lack of confidence in management had contributed to an increase in stress levels.  Meanwhile, only 5% of employees  said they are receiving more support from their managers than they did before the downturn and only 12% think their manager has adapted very well to the effects of the downturn.
Simon Jones, chief executive of Investors in People, commented:
“Increased stress in the workplace is associated with reduced productivity. Our research suggests that management has so far not addressed the current increase in workplace stress.  The longer the problem is ignored, the more it could impact on productivity at a time when the UK economy needs a boost.  We would urge managers to respond proactively to the recession, to gain the confidence of their employees by providing support for them during this period of uncertainty.”
The research also revealed that experience can make a difference to workplace stress. Over four fifths (84%) of employees over 55 years old have experienced a downturn before, compared with just over half (52%) of all employees.  The research found these older employees are coping with stress better than younger ‘recession virgins’.
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To arrange a briefing, contact the Investors in People press office on 020 7544 3118.

Notes to editor
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 2261 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 23rd - 26th March 2009.  The survey was carried out online. The figures are unweighted.
About Investors in People
To arrange a briefing, contact the Investors in People press office on 020 7544 3118.
• Investors in People offers a practical, flexible and easy to use framework for improving business performance and competitiveness through good practice in people management.

• With support from the Department of Health, Investors in People has been developing more focus on health and wellbeing since 2005.  With the new and more flexible way of working with Investors in People, organisations wanting to address stress in the workplace can use the framework to address this business objective.

• In partnership with the Health and Safety Executive and Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development, Investors in People have helped develop Stress Management Competencies and a toolkit to equip managers with the correct skills and behaviours to be able to manage these situations.

• An organisation that has achieved Investors in People has been successful in adopting and maintaining its three fundamental principles: Plan - developing strategies to improve the performance of the organisation, from business goals to leadership strategies; Do - implementing those strategies, taking action to improve the performance of the organisation; Review - evaluating and adjusting those strategies, measuring their impact on the performance of the organisation.

• The Investors in People framework is promoted, developed and delivered by Investors in People UK – an organisation whose main stakeholder is the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
 
• The Investors in People framework is delivered by a partner network:

1. In England, the network of Investors in People Centres.
2. In Scotland, Scottish Enterprise (SE) or Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
3. In Wales, the Business Skills Delivery Team at the Department for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, Welsh Assembly Government.
4. In Northern Ireland, the Department for Employment of Learning.