Almost 70 per cent of full-time employees blame their bosses for raising stress levels in the workplace to the detriment of company performance, according to MetLife research.
In addition, 45 per cent of the 1,211 employees aged 18 and above who participated in the study by independent market research firm Consumer Intelligence, said stress caused by management has led to staff in their organisation taking extended time off.
The research also shows younger workers are more likely to suffer the impact of management behaviour on stress. More than three-quarters of 18 to 24 year-olds surveyed said bosses have contributed to stress in their workplace.
Meanwhile more than three-quarters (76 per cent) of the sample who receive free counselling on stress issues through their group income protection benefits said the services are valuable, and 59 per cent claimed employee assistance programmes help improve their health and wellness.
Tom Gaynor, employee benefits director at MetLife UK said: “Complaining about your boss is not unusual but clearly when the behaviour of management is increasing stress in the workplace there is an issue to be addressed beyond trivial moaning.”
He added: “Some stress is good and of course most people need clear goals and challenges to perform at their best, but when it is causing extended absences action needs to be taken. Managers should be ensuring stress is tackled before it becomes a problem, not contributing to it.”
Adviser view
Allan Maxwell, director at Corporate Benefits Consulting, said: “The management, especially within larger organisations, has to understand the pressure they are putting on their employees, and the employees should understand that they should not be scared to talk to their bosses when things get a little too much. There is no exact science but it is all about communication.”
