Workplace Stress Statistics

Research Summary:

Workplace stress is not uncommon; in fact, it’s probably more a part of the condition of workers worldwide these days. Mental health, depression, and anxiety have made a massive impact on our lives, and most of that stress comes from our workplace and work habits. Across the United States, the mental health crisis has become an epidemic. Americans make up the most stressed-out population across the globe. 

Economic changes and financial woes are also attributed to problems in the workplace. Any stress from work, be it long hours, demanding deadlines, and difficult superiors, contributes to workplace stress. This stress ultimately leads to feeling burned out and exhausted at work and beyond, impacting companies and personal lives. After some extensive research, the following general Workplace Stress Statistics for 2021 are shocking:

• 83% of US workers suffer from some type of work-related stress.
• Workplace stress causes 120,000 deaths and $190 billion in healthcare costs yearly.
• Businesses across the US lose up to almost $300 billion yearly as a result of workplace stress.
• Employees are not receiving the support needed to manage their stress.
• 43% of employees believe their employers care about work-life balance.
• Stress causes 1 million workers to miss work every day.
• Employee engagement rose 34% in the United States, creating higher stress and more burnout among workers.
• 1.55% of Americans are stressed during the day and rate their stress level as a 4.9 out of 10. 

Americans seem to experience the most stress, having a 20% higher stress average than the overall world average of 35%. However, Greece is the top population for being the most stressed out, with 59% experiencing stress daily.

Gender Statistics On Stress

• Women are more stressed out than men.
• 62% of working women in the U.S. and Canada reported daily feelings of stress compared with 52% of men in the last year.

Women tend to feel more stress in the workplace. The result of women feeling more stressed out could be attributed to having less pay than men overall due to diversity issues. 

This is also worrisome within industries that employ more women than men, such as those who pursue a career in veterinary nursing, since housing more women in the workplace will impact stress levels. And with an average salary of less than $25k per year, it is easy to understand why this could cause workplace and financial stress.

 Cause in The Workplace for Stress

• 94% of American workers report experiencing stress at their workplace.

Across the United States, only 6% of workers don’t report feeling stressed at work. Around 23% of them described their stress levels as high, while 6% said their levels of stress were unreasonably high. This statistic indicates that working in a stressful working environment is the rule, not the exception.

• 35% of employees say that their boss is their primary source of stress.

Management and bosses seem to encompass an increasingly significant cause of stress for employees. More than ⅓ of United States workers named their boss as the main source of their stress at work, and 80% of workers said that when leadership changes occurred that it affected their stress levels as well.

• 63% of US workers are ready to quit their jobs due to stress.
• About 3 in 5 employees feel their employer does not provide a safe work environment for mental illness.
• Nearly 9 in 10 employees feel their workplace stress affects their mental health.

Many workers are on the edge of (or have at this point) quit their jobs just because of stress. Their reasons for leaving could be multiple stressors and variables, such as an unsafe work environment, inadequate pay, or poor relationships among associates. 

Mental illness is not something to be taken lightly, and businesses need to recognize and address taking adequate steps to provide better for those dealing with depression and anxiety. 

• Only 40% of employees with stress have talked to their employer about it.
• Only 4 in 10 employees are offered some kind of help when reporting stress-related problems at work.

Workers who cannot approach their supervisors about the stresses of their job are among the highest of those perceiving their workplace as unsafe. Most employees do not feel comfortable relaying their stressful problems, usually out of fear that they won’t be taken seriously, or their boss will look at them as unwilling to work.

• 80% of workers in the US were stressed as a result of ineffective company communication.

Poor communications practices across departments within organizations are yet another factor that causes significant stress within the workplace. This statistic has gone up 30% just in the last year.

• The majority of employees who feel stressed at work are actively seeking new employment opportunities.

Whether it be a heavy workload and no balance, financial issues, environment, relationships at work, or the other causes of stress, almost all employees have already started looking elsewhere for a better work situation, and 16% have already quit due to the pressure.

• Stress and anxiety affect work productivity (56%) and co-worker relationships (51%) more than any other factor.

Anxiety and stress lead to poor productivity and strains in relationships across the workplace. This news is the wake-up call that businesses now more than ever need to recognize the importance of providing guidance and assistance within their work environment for those dealing with mental health problems.

Personal Effects From Workplace Stress

• 54% of workers report that stress from work affects their life at home.

Pressure at work can bleed into stress at home since having a negative mindset or a bad day in the workplace can lead to coming home upset and angry, creating problems with the people in our lives. The stress that impacts us at work doesn’t just stay at work; it affects people’s entire lives.

• Stress causes sleep deprivation for 66% of American workers.

Sleep is essential for our well-being and overall health. Having trouble sleeping strongly affects our mental health as well as our physical health.

• Employees handle stress by drinking more caffeine (31%), smoking (27%), and exercising more frequently (25%).
• 80% of employees spend 12-20 hours each month dealing with financial concerns from work.

Managing stress has fallen to those having to deal with it. Unfortunately, instead of being offered professional help or expert coping mechanisms, many workers turn to unhealthy coping methods with their stress. Thinking about money issues and worrying about finances also carries over into home life, with many employees spending numerous hours concerned over their finances.

Burnout and Depression in the Workplace

• 75% of workers believe they are more stressed-out than previous generations.

• Over 40% of workers are experiencing early signs of burnout. 

Younger generations today seem to feel more stress within the workplace and tend to experience exhaustion and burnout due to workload, affecting their mental health. Employees feel more emotionally drained from work.

• Depression is one of the three main workplace problems for employee assistance professionals.

According to Mental Health America, stress is the second of the three workplace problems, and depression is another – depression that can be caused by burnout and too much stress within the workplace, since the longevity of negative thoughts, feelings, and exhaustion typically lead bouts of depression.  

• Employees who take sick days for mental health issues are 7 times more likely to have more absences than people with physical health issues.

Taking sick days usually indicates some type of physical illness, but mental health is a huge factor, causing even more absences in its wake when it is not helped.

Costs Incurred from Stress in the Workplace

• The average annual cost from loss of productivity because of absent workers is over $84 billion.

• The annual cost of treating depression is more than $26 billion, and productivity within the workplace lost costs over $51 billion.

Billions of dollars are lost every year within the United States due to stress-related illness and depression. In addition, mental health and stress issues take away a significant amount of work costs and time since they are not being dealt with properly within the workplace.

Conclusion

Younger generations in the workplace now have expectations that their workplace will provide them with more value than just money. Therefore, businesses need to rise to the call for improved well-being in their employees and understand that mental health problems are severe and need to be addressed.