8.4 Million Brits lie awake dreading return to work

62% of those who lie awake worrying about work said they lose up to 3 hours sleep a night. Half those losing sleep (53%) said they’re working longer hours or are waking up in the night worrying about their jobs.  Men are more stressed by their jobs than women, with 62% of men losing sleep over it.   Those in higher paid professional jobs are particularly affected by work stress – 60% complain it is keeping them awake at night.

RSA Casualty Director Phil Bell said, “This research clearly shows that people are so fearful of losing their jobs they’re taking work stress home with them and it’s stopping them from getting a good night’s sleep.  Bosses need to be aware of how stressed their employees are getting – lack of sleep makes people forgetful, unfocussed and less able to deal with the unexpected. In the workplace this causes accidents and mistakes.”

RSA is warning of the risks for employers of allowing WAWAW to affect their staff.  The average UK adult needs 7.25 hours sleep a night.  Getting less than this affects concentration and productivity.  Two in five (37%) said sleep deprivation is making them perform badly at work.  But a massive 8 in 10 haven’t shared their fears with their bosses, presumably out of concern for making matters worse.

Phil Bell continued, “Companies must look after their staff – apart from the duty of care employers have, there’s the financial impact on productivity for them to think about.  Employees shouldn’t be afraid to demand that their workload is managed properly.”