Report ranks health and social care as second most stressful industry

Health and social care is the second most stressful industry in the UK, with a staggering 56% of employees reporting workplace stress. The sector ranks just behind the accommodation and food services industry.

As part of a brand new study, the team at Private Rehab Clinic Delamere have crunched the numbers to reveal the industries that experience the highest levels of workplace stress. 

On the whole, it was recorded that very high levels of stress were down to physical expectations throughout the day, such as heavy lifting, short and irregular breaks, as well as dealing with the public.

In the health and social care sector, work usually involves being on your feet all day and helping people out of chairs and beds. This, of course, just a small example of what social care professionals may feel stressed by.

With an alarming score of 56.30% feeling stressed, Martin Preston, chief executive and founder at Delamere, said: “Stress in the workplace is disastrous for many reasons, one of them being that burn out can actually lead to being less productive and making mistakes.

“Untreated stress and work burnout, which is made worse by the toxicity of grind or hustle culture, can lead to severe cases of anxiety and other mental health conditions – which could then, in turn, lead to an employee needing to go off work sick. 

“This kind of mentality contributes directly to hustle culture, and could lead to employees feeling that they have failed if they ever take a break.

Martin suggests employers build relationships with their employees outside of work and keep all communication about work within paid hours.

He explained: “This will allow employers to get to know their workforce as human beings with emotional needs, and will in turn make employees feel more comfortable when voicing concerns.”

Here is how the industries ranked below:

The top 15 UK industries with the highest work-place stress rates