ClickAJob News

Staff who don't receive support from their managers and colleagues are more likely to suffer from stress, new data has revealed.

Conducted by the American Journal of Public Health, the research finds that a lack of support contributes significantly to the problem, with some of the most frazzled workers falling into depression.

Furthermore, stress in the workplace can lead to a number of other ailments, such as heart disease and high blood pressure, which the publication observes could lead to staff taking days off sick, highlighting a need for the problem to be tackled.

ClickAJob chief executive Yngve Traberg prefers to counter stress by encouraging a strong positive attitude.

"Stress is often a barometer that the job fit needs attention," he says, "especially if responsibilities and remit have expanded since an employee's original appointment."

"The best support is a regular test of skills to reassure staff and employers that they are fully competent," he continues.

"When people know what they're doing and they're confident about doing it, a lot of negative stress problems just go away.

"In their place a different kind of stress develops - a buzz for getting the business done. It's positive stress like this that drives people to excel in their careers, brushing aside even the health issues. A major cure for any negative stress is that adrenalin rush of accomplishment."

While the survey found that men and women may have different stress triggers in the office, a lack of support was evident as a factor in both sexes.

However, the research notes that it may be difficult to distinguish whether workers are suffering anxiety from work or home-related issues.