Only a third of finance departments regularly discuss health & wellbeing
Finance workers in the UK are among the most stressed in the world, according to a study by Robert Half UK. Research found that 78 per cent of Chief Financial Officers in the UK see stress levels rising in the next two years, with over a third (31 per cent) saying it would grow significantly. CFOs believe that increased workloads (51 per cent), growing business expectations (49 per cent) and a lack of staff (40 per cent) will send stress levels soaring.
In contrast, just 16 per cent of UK respondents expect to see no change to workplace stress levels over the next couple of years.
| Region | Stress levels will increase by 2020 (%) | Stress levels will not increase by 2020 (%) |
| UAE | 83% | 11% |
| Switzerland | 81% | 19% |
| Germany | 79% | 18% |
| Chile | 78% | 17% |
| Singapore | 78% | 19% |
| UK | 78% | 16% |
| Brazil | 77% | 16% |
| Australia | 76% | 18% |
| New Zealand | 75% | 18% |
| Hong Kong | 75% | 25% |
| Belgium | 73% | 26% |
| France | 71% | 22% |
| The Netherlands | 67% | 24% |
*Responses do not total 100% as only a selection of responses shown.
“In the run up to financial year-end, organisations need to remember that tired, stressed and unhappy employees make for an unproductive and less efficient workforce. Being on the front foot by hiring temporary support, such as additional credit controllers, purchase ledger clerks, and financial/management accountants can have a positive effect on the stress-levels of your existing employees,” commented Matt Weston, Director at Robert Half UK.
Finance is renowned for being a particularly stressful job. However, the research highlights a widespread failure to implement effective measures to combat stress in the workplace. Only a third (34 per cent) of finance departments regularly discuss health and wellness – while less than one in 10 (7 per cent) never talk about it all. The remaining 59 per cent discuss it occasionally.
While many businesses have policies and programmes for reducing workplace stress, these are by no means universal. According to the research, just over half (53 per cent) allow flexible working. Other steps taken includes redesigning office space to facilitate efficient working (47 per cent), implementing an employee wellness scheme (44 per cent), or providing regular opportunities for employees to give feedback to management (39 per cent).
“Businesses need to go above and beyond to meet high employee expectations around health and wellbeing, and finance is no exception,” concluded Weston. This means rethinking working practices, establishing a dialogue with employees around their needs and planning ahead to bring in interim workers to help finance cope with busy periods and remove some of the pressure.”
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