More people in the South feel ‘burnt out’ and ‘on edge’ because of work pressures, compared with those in the North or the Midlands, according to new research released today by Crunch Accounting. However, the overall picture of workplace stress is not encouraging, with figures show that it affects a concerning proportion of workers across all regions.
When asked about the most likely reason for potentially leaving their job, a quarter (25 per cent) of workers in the South say it was because they were burnt out or always ill. The North and Midlands weren’t far behind with 22 per cent and 18 per cent reporting the same reason, respectively. Similarly, 30 per cent of those in the South confess to always feeling on edge, compared with 25 per cent in the North and 21 per cent in the Midlands.
more than a third (38 per cent) of those in the North say they always feel stressed, compared with 34 per cent of Southerners, and 29 per cent of those living in the Midlands. When it came to having ‘Sunday night dread’, the North (50 per cent) just edge out the Midlands (49 per cent) and the South (33 per cent).
This negativity seems to be influencing self-esteem across the country. More than a quarter (27 per cent) of people in the South say a lack of confidence in their ability to get another job was keeping them from leaving their current position. The Midlands and the North weren’t far behind, both at 24 per cent.
Bosses with an aggressive management style are not helping either, with 17 per cent of those in the North, 16 per cent in the South and 14 per cent of those in the Midlands reporting that a shouting boss was the worst aspect of bad management they faced.
Helen Monk, people manager at Crunch Accounting says, ‘Although a few regional trends have emerged from our survey, it’s concerning to see such a universally consistent picture of stress and anxiety caused by workplace issues.
‘Perhaps not surprisingly, this issue seems to be affecting confidence levels and damaging self-esteem. It’s fair to say many of these people would be better off leaving for pastures new, whether that’s a different role, starting up on their own as a sole trader, or founding a limited company.’
Anyone thinking of changing career and setting up their own business should visit Crunch Accounting’s Get Started hub to find out the best ways to make it happen.
Further reading on workplace stress
