I live in the Louisville, KY area where just this week, our country experienced another tragic mass shooting. My heart goes out to the individuals, families, and team members affected. Our community mourns this loss with you and keeps you in our thoughts and prayers. We are grateful for the quick action of the Louisville Metro Police Department and first responders.
So many people are hurting, causing them to needlessly hurt others. I can’t speak to the circumstances of this unbelievable tragedy. However, in times like these, HR & business leaders must consider the safety and wellbeing of their employees and communities. What can we do? It can seem overwhelming and hopeless. But awareness and preparedness are essential starting points.
April – National Stress Awareness Month
“April is recognized as National Stress Awareness Month to bring attention to the negative impact of stress… It’s critical to recognize what stress and anxiety look like, take steps to build resilience, and know where to go for help,” National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Worsening Workplace Stress-Related Statistics
Following are stunning workplace stress statistics compiled and reported by Zippia Research (https://www.zippia.com/advice/workplace-stress-statistics/). They note that regardless of industry or job position, a large majority of working individuals feel some level of stress throughout their day.
- 55% of Americans are stressed during the day.
- 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.
- 30% of survey respondents stated that their job or careers were regular causes of stress. Among Millennials and Gen Z, this statistic jumps to 44%, showing that stress is on the rise among younger generations and presents a larger global problem than it did 20 or 30 years ago.
- 48% of employees agreed they felt more callous toward people since they took their job.
- 65% of workers said that workplace stress had caused difficulties, and more than 10% described these as having major effects on their life.
- 42% of employees report that yelling and other verbal abuse is common, while 29% have yelled at co-workers because of workplace stress.
- On a scale from one to ten, the average American rates their stress level as 4.9.
These alarming statistics demonstrate that things are not improving, pointing to much-needed changes in the workplace environment and in providing necessary support services for employees.
