Latest news with #workstress
Sky News
13-07-2025
- Health
- Sky News
Nearly two-thirds of UK workers turning to drink because of job pressures, survey says
Some 64% of UK workers drink alcohol for work-related reasons, according to a survey. It's not just colleagues having a few pints at the end of the business day. Job stress, pressure and anxiety led employees to drink more over the past year, according to Alcohol Change UK. The research also found one in five workers drinks to deal with deadlines, while nearly 10% feel pressured to drink by their boss or colleagues. The charity now wants employers to move away from alcohol-based team building and social events so everyone can feel included. Jane Gardiner from Alcohol Change UK told Sky News: "We're not saying don't go to the pub, don't have after-work drinks, but try to be more inclusive and create sort of healthier, more inclusive workplaces, recognising that not everyone does drink for a variety of different reasons." Patrick Fox is a former city banker who gave up alcohol in 2018 after years of drunken nights out. He told Sky News his colleagues would often pressure him to drink, and he ended up prioritising going out over his romantic relationship. "I'd be going out drinking on a Thursday and Friday after work. That would probably continue into the weekend. So come Sunday afternoon I'd be feeling pretty terrible and dreading going to work on a Monday," he said. He added: "There's so many different businesses out there where alcohol is the focal point a lot of the time at team building exercises, so there is a pressure to be a part of that." Employee absence due to work-related drinking is estimated to cost England's economy £4bn per year. However, the number of adults drinking alcohol has decreased in recent years. According to the latest data, 56% of adults reported having an alcoholic drink in 2022, down from 61% in 2012. Generation Z has markedly turned away from booze, abstinence periods like Dry January have become more mainstream, and there has been a proliferation of no or low alcohol alternatives. 1:46 Dhati Holohan, sales director at Asahi UK, told Sky News: "What we are seeing is over 40% of adults in the UK are looking to moderate their alcohol consumption." One way drinkers are doing that is by switching in soft drinks. Ms Holohan added: "We are calling that zebra striping. So alternating alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic drinks. One in three adults in the UK are actually using that as a way to pace their consumption."
The Independent
06-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Staggering trend of workers ‘turning to alcohol' because of job stress revealed
Almost two thirds of workers are drinking more alcohol due of stress or pressures related to their job, new research has found. A survey of 2,000 workers by Alcohol Change UK found 64 per cent of UK workers reported drinking alcohol for work-related reasons - with job stress, pressure and anxiety behind increased consumption in the past 12 months. Four in 10 said they drank more alcohol due to work-related anxiety, while 38 per cent said they drank more to cope with work stress. Over a third drank more alcohol because of pressure or deadlines at work and 29 per cent reported increased alcohol consumption due to job insecurity Jane Gardiner, head of consultancy and training at research group Alcohol Change UK, said: 'Although the work we do is hugely varied, this research suggests that in the last year many of us have been drinking more alcohol in an attempt to manage work-related stress, anxiety, pressure and job insecurity. 'Yet, from poor sleep and hangovers to high blood pressure, depression and other health conditions, alcohol can take a big toll on our health and wellbeing. 'While it may offer short-term relief for some, over time it's more likely to worsen feelings of stress, anxiety and pressure and lead to a cycle of self-medicating that can be hard to break free from, even if we want to.' The research has been released to mark the start of Alcohol Awareness Week, and found demand from employees for preventative action and education around alcohol at work. This year's theme 'Alcohol and work' focuses on how work environments and pressures can influence the way we drink, and how we can build healthier, more inclusive workplace cultures. More than 8 in 10 of the workers surveyed believed employers have some responsibility to address alcohol in the workplace - but over a third said they feel more comfortable talking about mental health in the workplace than alcohol. Ms Gardiner added: 'Mirroring the progress seen in mental health in the workplace in recent years to drive conversations, boost compassion and support and reduce stigma, it's so encouraging to see such strong appetite for alcohol awareness and education from workers. 'What's hugely positive is that employees appear to recognise that preventative, proactive action is where alcohol factors in – above reactive action when an issue presents itself. 'It's this kind of support that will start to make alcohol less of a taboo subject, raise awareness of the impact of our drinking habits on our overall health and wellbeing and prevent avoidable alcohol harm before it happens.'
Fast Company
04-07-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Employees are crashing out all over TikTok. Here's why
Work-related stress is on the rise. And to quote Gen Z, who loves some dramatic verbiage, the overwhelm has employees totally 'crashing out.' Crashing out can look like having a full blown freak out (think: losing it at a coworker, crying at your desk, or screaming in your car) or simply feeling internally unhinged and saying quietly to yourself 'I'm crashing out. I'm crashing out so hard right now.' On TikTok Gen Z is crashing out over the big and small. (Think their dog eating their new Nike kicks.) However, one of the most common trends is crashing out over work. And while the videos are very often all in good fun and usually hilarious, that doesn't mean that work-related pressure isn't a very real issue. According to a new report with data from 2,000 full-time employees, there are definitely good reasons to be crashing out. Research from Owl Lab's 2024 State of Hybrid Work Report finds 43% of workers say their work stress has increased in just one year. Furthermore, 89% say there has been no improvement in their troublesome work-related stress from the previous year. What is everyone crashing out about? Unfair compensation For starters, a good chunk of workers (22%) don't feel fairly compensated, per the report. Many employees are 'polyworking,' or working an additional job. Over a fifth (22%) of employees have another job in addition to their full-time job. Shockingly, this number is higher for managers: almost a third (32%) have another job. Unsurprisingly, managers' stress levels are 55% higher than nonmanagers'. Not enough flexibility Employees are also over having to go to the office, mainly, because it doesn't feel necessary to them. Half of workers feel that when they are forced to go into work it is only to 'fill a seat.' Likewise, most workers (84%) say working from home gives them the ability to eat healthier meals. They also have to spend less money on food and parking. Hybrid workers report spending an average of $61 when working from the office versus working from home. Flexibility is majorly important to workers: 41% say if they lost their hybrid work privileges, they'd look for a new job. Office politics One major reason why employees don't want to come into the office, aside from getting to work from the comfort of home, is political differences. Nearly half (45%) of U.S. workers said their colleagues' political views have them wanting to stay home. While older generations are less likely to air their grievances online, Gen Z leans in. Overall one in three workers (34%) has posted something negative about their job or employer. However, nearly half (48%) of Gen Z employees have. And with that, crashing out has entered the chat.
Fast Company
24-06-2025
- Health
- Fast Company
3 ways to manage work stress
Most of the time, stress is a part of work that may be annoying, but isn't debilitating. As I have written about many times, stress is just the emotion you experience when you are focused on avoiding some threat or calamity in your environment. Ideally the stress you experience gives you a boost of energy to tackle difficult problems at work. Sometimes, though, stress causes more problems than it solves. This is particularly true under two conditions: when it makes it difficult for you to make any progress on issues at work, and when it bleeds through into your personal life and sabotages your time away from the office so you can't relax. In those cases, you need to better manage your work stress. What can you do to keep work stress from overrunning your life? Find your energy sweet spot At work, stress gets in the way when you get over-energized. There is a long history of evidence suggesting that there is an optimal level of energy for getting work done: too little, and you have no motivation to work on key tasks; too much, and your energy level is paralyzing. You may pace the room, or flip between tasks, but you can't concentrate. In between is a sweet spot in which you have enough energy to focus on a critical task and stay engaged. You want to find that zone in which you work effectively. Get a sense for what it feels like. When your stress level builds to the point that you are no longer working at your peak, use strategies to dissipate some of that arousal. Take a walk. Do some deep breathing. Talk with a colleague. Only return to your work when you feel like you're able to focus and make progress. Otherwise, your lack of progress is likely to create additional stress and ramp your energy level back up. Build a barrier When that work stress also affects your home life, then you may need to create a moat that the stress can't cross. Find some kind of activity you can do during or after your commute home from work (even if that commute involves simply shutting your computer, because you work from home). If you can delay the start of your family obligations, then consider doing some exercise, reading a book for pleasure, or engaging in another hobby like playing an instrument, knitting, or crafting. Do something active rather than passive. When you watch TV, for example, you may reduce your energy level, but you don't change your thinking pattern. If you really have to dive into your home responsibilities, then see if you can create a change in thinking while also addressing the needs of your family. Turn chores into a game. Pair the work you have to do with great music or an audio book. Find something you look forward to that will shift your mindset. Work on your sleep routine Also, don't neglect your sleep routine. If you have a lot of work stress and then your home life is busy, you may feel like you should stay awake in order to have some time doing things you enjoy. Resist that temptation. Sleep is a critical component of your mental and physical health. If work stress starts to interfere with your ability to sleep, work on developing a sleep routine. Disconnect from devices at least 30 minutes before you want to sleep. Create a more consistent routine around your sleep so that your body develops habits to want to fall asleep. Consider listening to sleep meditations so that you can relax and sleep. Your consistent sleep routine will help with your focus and resilience, which will benefit you both at work and at home.
Free Malaysia Today
12-06-2025
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
How bringing home your job stresses can affect your dog
Dogs display behaviours indicative of anxiety when their owners brood over work problems. (Envato Elements pic) PARIS : After a stormy meeting, an urgent job to finish, or tension with a colleague, your dog may greet you as usual when you get home. But something might not feel right: your pet may seem agitated, pace back and forth, and whine softly. Too preoccupied with your work worries, you fail to make the connection: your stress has already contaminated your faithful companion. This scene, experienced by millions of 'dog parents', illustrates the conclusions of a recent study conducted by researchers at Washington State University and published in Scientific Reports. It shows that our dogs feel our work-related stress directly, especially when we struggle to mentally unplug from our preoccupations at work. The researchers surveyed 85 working adults who own dogs. Participants were asked to rate their level of work stress and their tendency to ruminate, and they were asked to rate their pet's stress according to specific behavioral indicators. The results showed that the dogs displayed behaviours indicative of anxiety when their owners brooded over their work problems. However, the study reveals an important nuance: it's not so much the high level of work-related stress that affects the animal but rather this tendency to ruminate – that is, to mentally transport work concerns into the privacy of the home. When we carry our professional worries beyond office hours, we remain tense and distracted. Body language, tone of voice and general behaviour betray this inner tension – signals that dogs pick up with remarkable acuity. Emotional contagion A dog's ability to decode emotional states is explained by a scientifically recognised mechanism: emotional contagion. These four-legged companions are absolute masters in the art of deciphering non-verbal signals, which means they can 'catch' their master's emotions. Dogs excel at reading facial expressions and picking up changes in tone and posture, which makes them highly attuned to their owners' work stress. Aim to spend quality time with your dog by being fully present, without phones or distractions. (Envato Elements pic) This phenomenon goes far beyond simple observation. The animal perceives subtle changes in breathing, gestures or body language, creating a surprising emotional synchronisation with its owner. This extraordinary sensitivity explains why our pets sometimes seem to sense our moods before we are even conscious of them ourselves. In light of this, the study authors suggest a number of ways of shielding animals from this emotional contagion. In particular, they recommend practising mindfulness, through deep-breathing exercises or meditation, to truly leave stress at the office. Establishing end-of-day rituals, such as a short walk or a change of clothes, can also mentally signal that the working day is coming to an end. The idea of spending quality time with your dog by being fully present, without phones or distractions, is another key recommendation. Monitoring your pet's body language and maintaining a calm home environment also help to create a reassuring haven for the animal. Finally, the researchers do not hesitate to suggest seeking professional help if stress becomes unmanageable. Ultimately, this study reminds us of a fundamental truth: our dogs don't know our jobs or our bosses' demands, but they know perfectly well when we're upset or distracted. In spite of themselves, our four-legged companions offer us a lesson in professional wisdom – the importance of leaving work at work.
