The cost-of-living crisis is the top cause of stress at work for people working in leadership and senior management roles, according to the findings of a new survey.

Around 98% of the 265 leaders and senior managers polled found at least one aspect of their work stressful, while two-fifths (83%) are affected by three or more work-related stressors (the average, per person, is eight). Yet, despite the obvious stress their work causes them, just 4% claim not to like their jobs.

Their biggest concerns, the things currently causing them the most stress and anxiety in their jobs, were identified as:

• The cost-of-living crisis (30%).
• High inflation and rising prices (29%).
• Exhaustion or burnout (22%).

Other major stress triggers, for one in five (20%) survey respondents, include coping with the economic downturn and threat of recession, their workload and to-do lists, and unfinished work tasks.

Around one in six also reported being worried by:

• Employee retention and staff turnover issues (17%).
• Rising interest rates (17%).
• Business viability and profitability concerns (16%).
• Ongoing wage inflation (16%).

The survey also claims that nearly one in two (47%) leaders and senior managers have felt stressed or anxious about their impending workweek due to the intensity of some people’s feelings of anticipatory anxiety or dread before the start of a new week. Of those 47%, nearly a third (29%) have experienced this multiple times over the past year.

To view the survey in full, visit here.

Workplace Insight
March 2023

The majority of respondents (94%) to a survey of UK workers agreed that the quality of the air they breathe has a direct impact on their health and wellbeing, according to a report.

The authors polled 2,500 workers in buildings of 500-plus workers in Germany, India, the Middle East, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Nearly a quarter (24%) of surveyed UK office workers are extremely or very worried about their office’s indoor air quality (IAQ), a 14% increase (21%) the previous years’ study.

Additionally, eight in 10 respondents (82%) say their expectations for improved IAQ have increased in the past three years. Even more, 16% of respondents don’t know how often, if at all, their employer or office building manager monitors their office building’s current IAQ, compared with 7% of global respondents. This leaves room for employers to improve both workplace IAQ and communication of IAQ metrics to their employees.

Nearly half (49%) of respondents want their employer to prioritise both better indoor air quality (IAQ) in their building as well as reducing their building’s carbon footprint. The findings suggest that office employees are becoming increasingly aware of their work environment and its effect on their overall wellbeing and productivity, and the environmental impact of the building itself.

The UK was aligned with the other four surveyed regions when respondents were asked what they would be willing to give up if it meant reinvesting costs to help reduce the environmental impact of their building.

Most UK respondents were willing to give up at least one job perk or benefit (80%), with the most notable items being:

• Building amenities, like lounges or fitness centre (36%).
• Food perks for employees, like coffee, tea, or snacks (33%).
• Less temperature control like running the heat or using AC less (30%).
• State-of-the-art technology for my day-to-day job (21%).
• Part of their salary or bonus (14%).

2023 Healthy Building Occupant Survey Report (honeywell.com)