According to a People Management poll of 600 people, HR and L&D professionals frequently feel overwhelmed by work-related stress. This may put their mental health under greater pressure than the rest of the population.
The poll consisted of 641 individuals who were questioned in depth about their working lives, aspirations and personal background. It was found that 37 percent felt extremely stressed or overwhelmed - because of work - at least four times a month and 50 percent at least once a month.
The results offered an insight into the good and bad of HR life. Findings showed that flexi-work is being embraced, with 56 percent taking the opportunity to work from home. Automation was welcomed – again, with 56 percent seeing it as a positive for HR and generally, it was found that their pay and progression opportunities were viewed as being satisfactory.
However, for 44 percent work is too often detrimental to their mental health and for 38 percent to their physical health, with concerns over bullying and - in some cases - lack of access to learning opportunities. Only 26 per cent of those in the study gave a positive reaction to the question on mental health and 20 percent on physical health.
CIPD’s UK Working Life Survey found that 22 percent of the general working population was of the opinion that work was bad for their mental health, which pointed to the fact that HR professionals reporting negative mental health was significantly higher.
In the CIPD magazine, chief executive Peter Cheese wrote that:
“It is noticeable that perceived levels of stress and concerns around mental and physical health are higher among our profession than we observe in the population as a whole.”
“This is such an important issue in the wider workforce today, but we must also make sure we look after ourselves – we can’t be the cobbler’s children.”
“We need to ensure the proper training and support is in place to be able to manage our stress, particularly as we are also a key point of support for many in the workplace.”
At an event to mark the launch of the report, Peter Cheese stated:
“The lower end of the workforce spectrum are not always feeling well supported, not given a lot of resources in terms of training, and lack sight of progression. Then above them you have managers who are very broadly stressed. That’s a pretty heady mix.”
He added:
“The reality is if you’re over-stressed as a management team, you’re not going to be so good at managing or looking after your people, and stress flows downhill. Those are some very important dilemmas to understand.”
The changing nature of HR duties was also highlighted, with a report that an average of 32 percent of the day was spent answering emails and 22 percent in meetings.
