A new study suggests that Britain’s workforce has entered what it calls a “coping era” at work, where employees are increasingly pushing through illness, staying constantly connected and sacrificing wellbeing to manage day to day pressure.
The research, carried out by employee engagement and benefits platform BHN Extras, segmented 1,500 employees into five groups according to wellbeing and ability to manage workplace pressure. These groups were defined as Thriving, Satisfied, Coping, Struggling and Under Pressure.
The findings suggest a widening gap between employees who feel energised at work and those relying on coping behaviours just to get through their workload. According to the study, these behaviours are becoming more normalised across UK workplaces as pressure intensifies.
Workplace Stress Behaviours Normalised
The research highlights how workplace behaviours linked to stress are becoming more common among employees who are under pressure.
Six in ten (60%) employees in the “under pressure” group say they continue working while sick, compared with just 6% of those classified as thriving. More than half (57%) of employees under pressure also regularly respond to messages outside working hours, while only 8% of thriving employees report the same behaviour.
The study also points to the longer term impact of these pressures. Nearly a quarter (24%) of workers under pressure said they had taken sick leave due to stress or burnout in the past three months. In addition, 31% said they regularly sacrifice social connection to keep up with workload demands, compared with 2% of thriving employees.
Employees in this category also reported high engagement with workplace benefits, including health cover, gym and wellness discounts and mental health support. However, fewer than half (49%) said they make full or good use of their benefits package overall.
Despite this, the research suggests that many organisations may not fully recognise the extent of strain employees are experiencing in day to day working life.
Leadership Perception Gap
The report also highlights a disconnect between how employers perceive workplace wellbeing and how employees experience it.
While 90% of employers say they are confident they understand their workforce, 43% of employees in the “under pressure” group say their employer does not understand them.
A difference is also seen across job levels. More than half (51%) of C level executives say they feel fully understood by their employer, compared with just 19% of semi skilled and unskilled manual workers. Employees in London were the most likely to work five or more extra hours beyond their contracted time. Workers in the South East were the most likely to say they struggle to manage job demands at 25%, while those in the North East reported lower levels of strain at 5%.
The research also found that employees who are thriving are more likely to be office based, with 44% working full time in the office compared with 18% working fully remotely. Nearly three in ten generally satisfied workers said that social connection and team culture help them manage workplace pressure. At the same time, C level executives were the most likely group to report making full or good use of their benefits package at 88%.
Peter Dando, Senior Director, Employee Benefits & Recognition at BHN Extras, said that coping has become the new normal at work. “Behaviours often associated with commitment like working while sick or staying online after hours are increasingly signs that employees are struggling under sustained pressure,” he said.
“Our research suggests many organisations are still misreading these coping behaviours as signs of productivity. It therefore highlights a growing need for employers to take a more active role in supporting workforce wellbeing and addressing the pressures impacting employees day to day.”