Analysis has found almost 2.3 million workers are suffering from stress caused by the people they work with.
Research from training provider RRC International found 964,000 workers in the UK reported themselves as suffering stress which is caused or made worse by work.
Impact of second-hand stress
With the average workforce made up of nine people, and 26% of those susceptible to second-hand stress, this means 2,255,760 workers could be suffering from second-hand stress, which is equal to 7% of the entire UK workforce.
The study analysed data from Legal and General and the Health and Safety Executive.
RRC’s own data shows the actual number of people suffering with stress could be up to 7.5 times higher than is being reported by sufferers.
Call for cultural and training changes
Richard Stockley, Managing Director at RRC International, said: “Second-hand stress is an underappreciated blight on our workforce, spreading through teams undetected and untreated.
“Even if 2.3m is the starting number, the scale of the problem is clear to see. To combat this epidemic, workplaces and team leaders need to shift their mindset and realise how stress can impact a whole team, not just one individual.
“Now, we know that stress at work impacts people’s productivity, job satisfaction and purpose, and has much wider ramifications to their home lives too.
“So, decision makers need to implement the right culture and training, allowing the business to adapt, manage and remove as many of the stresses as they can.
“In doing so, they protect their workers and show them they are valued, and they ensure their businesses are futureproofed against the threat of ‘second-hand stress’.”
