Flexible working key to happier workplace

ISTANBUL

Building on Regus research last year, which found that 48 percent of respondents felt their stress levels had risen in the past year.

Economic volatility has increased pressure on workers with 61 percent reporting that they are experiencing more stress-related illness since the downturn, finds the latest survey from Regus, the global workplace provider. But businesses can help change this trend as 73 percent of workers globally identified flexible working as critical to help ease work-related stress.

Stress-related illness can worsen or cause a whole series of health conditions ranging from obesity to heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, depression, gastrointestinal problems and asthma. Building on Regus research last year, which found that 48 percent of respondents felt their stress levels had risen in the past year, this latest study found that one third (34 percent) of workers are actually losing sleep worrying about work.

The survey, canvassing the opinions of more than 20,000 senior executives and business owners across 95 countries, also found that stress is causing a worrying increase in absenteeism (52 percent) damaging business productivity as well as worker well-being.

Other outcomes include: “37 percent of respondents are worried about losing their job; 42 percent feel less confident about the sector they work in.”