A new job stress report from CareerCast has revealed that most employees are stressed on the job. That may be no surprise, but the report also revealed that a single common workplace factor is the top culprit of stress: deadlines. Over 1,000 respondents were included in the survey, and they answered questions evaluating 11 different stress contributors.
Of those surveyed, 82 percent said their jobs fall on the more stressful end of the spectrum. Stress levels were ranked on a 0 to 10 scale, with 0 indicating no stress and 10 indicating constant stress. The score of 8 was most popular with a response rate of 24.6 percent and the score of 7 came in second at 23.3 percent.
The stress factors evaluated included hazards, deadlines, physical demand, and life at risk, among others. More than 30 percent of respondents cited deadlines as their top stress factor. “Life of Another at Risk” came in second at 17 percent, which corresponds with the high rate of healthcare professionals who weighed in on the survey.
Top 11 Workplace Stressors
- Deadlines (30 percent).
- Life of another at risk (17 percent).
- Competitiveness (10.2 percent).
- Physical demands (8.4 percent).
- Working in the public eye (8 percent).
- Lack of growth potential (7 percent).
- Life at risk (7 percent).
- Hazards encountered (5 percent).
- Meeting the public (4 percent).
- Travel (3 percent).
- Environmental conditions (2 percent).
The survey also revealed that stress is a main factor when it comes to employees seeking a new job or leaving their professions altogether. Almost 59 percent of those surveyed said they would leave their professions if they could.
What can be done about workplace stress and deadlines?
Unfortunately, there is no easy solution for reducing stress in many of the sectors surveyed, such as healthcare. But when it comes to deadlines, it’s important for employees to communicate at several stages of a project with their supervisors in order to determine if deadlines need to be reevaluated. By breaking the project down into multiple check points, instead of just at completion of the project, you can focus on small wins, ensure the project is heading in the right direction at every step, and keep those lines of communication open throughout the project. Small wins and increased communication take the stress out of big projects. Supervisors can do their part by ensuring they are meeting with employees routinely to access the progress, acknowledge success, and find solutions to any roadblocks that hinder their employees.