If you come home from a tough day at work with your laptop in hand and the knowledge that you’ll be logging back on in the evening, you’re not alone. A new, first of it’s kind, in-depth studyof more than 3,000 U.S. workers by the Rand Corp., Harvard Medical School and the University of California, Los Angeles delivers powerful news to employers. At a time when many organizations report struggling to find and retain highly-skilled talent, people on the job are stressed out and their physical and mental health is paying the price.
“Wow — (work) is pretty taxing place for many people,” lead author Nicole Maestas told the Associated Press. “I was surprised by how pressured and hectic the workplace is.” The survey found employees reported:
- Working on their own time – About half say they work off hours to meet the demands of their job
- Not enough time – 1 in 4 perceives they have too little time to do their job
- Telecommuting remains rare – 78% are required to be present in their workplace during working hours
- Poor conditions – 55% work in “unpleasant and potentially hazardous” conditions
- Frequent disruptions – Nearly 20% are interrupted fairly often and view this negatively
- Desires do not match reality – Nearly two-thirds of workers say their desired and actual working conditions do not match
“There’s a message for employers here,” Maestas said. “Working conditions really do matter.”
The problems organizations face today are more complex, requiring people to innovate, problem solve and work in fundamentally new ways. This new creative work requires taking risks and experimenting, but these creative behaviors are impossible in a stressed state of mind. Ongoing research from Steelcase sheds light on how organizations can create work environments that help people feel good physically, cognitively and emotionally and enable creative work to thrive.