A recent report highlights that a significant majority of young employees would consider leaving their jobs abruptly due to the prevalence of toxic work cultures. The findings, drawn from a survey conducted by Lifesum among Gen Z and millennials in the United States, underscore the impact of workplace stress on employees.
In the United States, three-quarters of respondents expressed a willingness to quit their jobs immediately if faced with a toxic work culture. The sentiment was even more pronounced in the United Kingdom, where eight in 10 respondents shared similar feelings. Nearly half of the U.S. respondents (48%) indicated their readiness to replace their current jobs with ones that prioritize their well-being.
The survey discovered that 52% of participants reported experiencing workplace stress, and 51% claimed that work-related stress consistently affects their personal lives. The research points to stress not only influencing individual career decisions but also impacting personal lives and an organization’s overall revenue.
Stress not only influencing individual career decisions but also impacting personal lives and an organization’s overall revenue.
In Singapore, the issue is reflected in the fact that almost four in 10 employees admitted to taking time off work in the past year due to stress.
The survey delves into the measures that employees believe could alleviate workplace stress. A significant number (64%) of respondents stated that they do not believe their organizations have a well-established well-being culture. To mitigate stress, respondents highlighted the importance of good management, healthy eating initiatives, fair economic compensation, and mental health support as key measures that employers could implement.
Wesleigh Roeca, the Director of Business Development at Lifesum, emphasized the significance of factors like healthy eating initiatives, citing scientific evidence supporting the positive impact of a balanced diet on the immune system.
Arianna Huffington, the Founder of The Huffington Post and Thrive Global, stressed the crucial role HR leaders play in addressing workplace stress. Huffington noted the urgency for businesses to prioritize employee well-being, emphasizing that failing to do so could lead to a mental health crisis. She urged HR leaders to focus on inspiring and uplifting employees to prevent such a crisis from unfolding.
