WESTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--An international poll conducted by Monster reveals that 42% of US respondents have left a job due to an overly stressful environment; workplace stress has also caused an additional 35% to consider changing jobs. A related Monster US survey has found that 55% respondents experience very stressful lives; this percentage rises to 57% when specifically related to work stress. Only 3% of respondents report to experience no stress in their work life.
Monster, the worldwide leader in successfully connecting people to job opportunities, asked visitors to their site the question, “Has stress from work ever driven you to a job change?” and received over 6,700 responses. US findings included:
- 42% of respondents answered “I have purposely changed jobs due to a stressful work environment”
- 35% of respondents answered “I thought about changing my job because of a stressful work environment”
- 23% of respondents answered “I have never changed my job specifically due to a stressful work environment”
Internationally, respondents from India are the least likely to switch jobs due to stress. Only 19% have ever left a job because it was too stressful, and 57% report that they have never switched jobs because their current one is too stressful. Workplace stress is of most concern in France and the UK1, with almost half (48%) of respondents from both countries’ noting they have changed jobs due to a stressful work environment. Further, only 11% of French respondents have not changed jobs due to stress.
A “Workplace Stress” survey conducted by Monster in the US provided further insight into various aspects of a stressful work environment and its impact on personal life. The survey, which generated over 900 responses, revealed:
- The most commonly reported workplace stressors include: supervisor relationship (40%) amount of work (39%) work-life balance (34%) and coworker relationships (31%)
- 61% of respondents believe that workplace stress has been the cause of an illness
- 46% of respondents have missed time at work due to work-related stress; 7% report illness so severe it caused hospitalization
- 84% of respondents claim that their stressful job has impacted their personal lives; 26% report sleepless nights, 24% report depression, 21% report family or relationship issues, and 19% report physical ailments
- The most common methods of coping with work-related stress include: talking to a friend/colleague/spouse (55%), exercising (40%), eating (35%), stepping away from work (35%), taking a day off (32%), and drinking after work (24%)
- When asked “What does your office do to help alleviate stress in the workplace?” 13% of respondents answered “extra time-off”; 11% answered “ability to work from home”; and 66% answered “nothing.”
“Workplace stress can come from any part of a job and triggers are different for everyone, so finding a true solution to stress tends to require a personalized approach. While every job will come with a degree of stress it is important to act if it becomes unmanageable,” said Mary Ellen Slayter, Career Advice Expert for Monster. “It’s good to start by tracking your stress levels and looking for common triggers. Your workplace stress might feel like one big cloud of anxiety, but there are likely many contributing factors and evaluating them individually is crucial. Some problems, once isolated, might have simple solutions- like making adjustments to an unbalanced schedule or ensuring you always take a break at lunchtime.”
Slayter continues, “On the other hand, if you are identifying complex problems and facing deeper issues at work, such as an adversarial relationship with your supervisor or a consistently unmanageable workload, it might be time to consider finding a new job at a workplace that’s a better fit for you. When job hunting, be mindful of the stressors you’ve identified as problematic and thoroughly research both the culture and expectations at a potential new company.”
For more tips on fighting workplace stress, please visit our Monster Working blog.
About the Poll:
The results of the current Monster
International Poll are based on votes cast by Monster visitors from:
March 3-17, 2014. Only one vote per user is counted toward the final
tabulation. The Monster International poll, a product of Monster, the
premier global online employment solution and flagship brand of Monster
Worldwide, Inc., is a series of online polls that gauge users’ opinions
on a variety of topics relating to careers, the economy and the
workplace. These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinions of
only those Internet users who have chosen to participate.
About the Survey:
Monster’s “Workplace Stress” study
surveyed nearly 1,000 job seekers on the Monster database via an online
survey. The survey ran from March 12, 2014 to March 18, 2014.
About Monster Worldwide
Monster Worldwide, Inc.
(NYSE:MWW) is the global leader in successfully connecting job
opportunities and people. Monster uses the world's most advanced
technology to help people Find Better, matching job seekers
to opportunities via digital, social and mobile solutions including monster.com®,
our flagship website, and employers to the best talent using a vast
array of products and services. As an Internet pioneer, more than 200
million people have registered on the Monster Worldwide network. Today,
with operations in more than 40 countries, Monster provides the
broadest, most sophisticated job seeking, career management, recruitment
and talent management capabilities globally. For more information visit about-monster.com.
1 UK reported lower than average response rate
