Women more likely to take time off due to work-related stress

Women aged 35-44 are the most likely to take time off due to work-related stress, according to an analysis by the Health and Safety Executive.

Its report based on an analysis of Labour Force statistics found that 44% of all time off taken for work-related health issues was due to mental health. Women were significantly more likely to take time off for work-related stress. Between 2016 and 2019 there were an average of 2,020 cases per 100,000 female workers, compared with 1,490 cases per 100,000 male workers. For women aged 35 to 44 this rose to 2,410 cases per 100,000 workers.

The report says that time off for work-related stress is more common in certain professions, particularly public sector jobs and in the health, social care and education sectors. Workload is a significant factor, in particular tight deadlines, too much work or too much pressure or responsibility. Other factors identified included a lack of managerial support, organisational changes at work, violence and role uncertainty (lack of clarity about the job/or uncertainty about what a person is meant to do).

It says: “Work-related stress, depression or anxiety continues to represent a significant ill health condition in the workforce of Great Britain. Work-related stress, depression or anxiety accounts for 44% of work-related ill health and 54% of working days lost, in 2018/19. The occupations and industries reporting the highest rates of work-related stress, depression or anxiety remain consistently in the health and public sectors of the economy.

The reasons cited as causes of work-related stress are also consistent over time with workload, lack of managerial support and organisational change as the primary causative factors.”

Meanwhile, a report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies calls for a targeted pay increase for public sector workers to boost recruitment and retention. The report says that average earnings in both the public and private sectors remain below pre-financial crisis levels and that pay restraint in the public sector has reduced the pay gap between the public and private sector which was making recruitment and retention issues worse.

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