One in eight suffering ‘unmanageable’ stress

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People working from home may be suffering ‘unmanageable stress’ because they have been putting in longer hours since the start of the pandemic.

This is according to health service provider Cigna Europe, which found 71% of UK workers are currently stressed, with 12% describing this stress as “unmanageable”.

A third (32%) of those working from home have been working longer hours since the onset of Covid-19. A lack of an office routine and extra time from the absence of a commute were the main reasons for employees working longer.

Mental health was seen as the most important aspect of “whole health” by UK workers, with 69% ranking it the highest when considering their wellbeing.

Dr Peter Mills, associate medical director at Cigna Europe, said employers needed to provide more “comprehensive” wellbeing policies to help those struggling to balance their workload and their mental health.

“It is essential for employers to focus on closing the gap between what employees expect in terms of their overall whole health and what they actually receive now that we are starting to return to the office,” he said.

“Whole health extends beyond the typical provisions of physical and mental health and includes everything that makes up the employee’s world: family, friends, work-life balance, access to care, finances and home environment. Difficulty in any one of these areas can have an immediate knock-on effect on a person’s whole health.”

The results were gleaned from