Auto Charity Reveals Employee Stress

If your company is involved in the automotive industry, you may be surprised to learn that half of employees in this sector have suffered stress at work and home in the last year.

That’s according to a recent survey by BEN, the automotive industry charity, which found that financial security was a key driver behind the stress with 50% saying they’d had money concerns in the last year, and 28% having experienced a pay or freeze cut.

After stress and changes to pay, the third largest work concern was a lack of training and development support, coming in at 22%.

Nigel Rothband, Chief Operating Officer, of BEN, said: “Many people are struggling at home and in the workplace and either don’t know or aren’t comfortable with asking for help.

“This isn’t just an issue for the individual, it can also have a knock-on effect on performance at work.”

The study also found that 64% of those questioned felt that their personal circumstances had affected their performance at work, and conversely 55% of those who had suffered a work concern felt this had a negative impact on their personal well-being.

The survey highlighted that people tend not to talk about their issues, be it personal of professional. 36% said they didn’t seek support for either and when asked about where they sought support, it appears that people are especially unlikely to talk to their employer.

Only 12.5% of those surveyed said they’d gone to their line manager and just 7% went to their HR department.

BEN is a registered charity that provides care, support and advice to people in the automotive industry who need help in times of hardship or distress.

They provide a range of support and can help with the costs of specialist disabled equipment for children, can provide emotional support through an illness as well as funding respite breaks for couples.

(Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)