Most Americans Working Full-Time Report Feeling Stressed at Work

Two-thirds Believe Companies Should Be Responsible for Helping Their Employees Manage and Reduce Workplace Stress

The author(s)
  • Chris Jackson Senior Vice President, US, Public Affairs
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Washington, DC, February 12, 2019 — According to a recent Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Welltok, working Americans feel stressed about work and want employer support in their efforts to improve or maintain their personal wellbeing. Sixty-four percent of employed Americans say they feel stressed at work. A third (33%, strongly agree/agree) say that work stress is negatively impacting their life and a similar proportion (35%) have seriously considered changing their work situation due to stress. Even though 65% of employed Americans say they believe companies should be responsible for helping their employees manage or reduce workplace stress, only a third (33%) say that their employer offers them tools and resources to help them reduce work stress.

Full time workers say it is personally important to them that their employer offers programs and resources that support emotional health (63%), financial health (63%), and physical health (63%). Employed Americans are less likely to want social connectedness support from their employers (48%). Nearly seven in ten (69%) report that over the past couple of years they have increased their use of technology to manage or support their health.

Almost six in ten (58%) full-time working Americans say they feel their direct manager supports their efforts to improve or maintain their health and wellbeing; while 42% feel otherwise. However, only 16% strongly agree that they know where to find all the health and wellbeing resources their employer offers. When it comes to ways that companies can help motivate employers to complete health-related activities, extra vacation time (74%), flexible work schedule (62%), and wellness benefits (55%) are the most popular non-traditional choices. Discounts on local activities and goods (50%), raffles for large gifts (45%), sporting events (35%) and lottery tickets (33%) are also ways to motivate employees to complete activities that promotes healthy habits.

Just over eight in ten (82%) strongly agree/agree/somewhat agree that if their employer offered more relevant health and wellbeing programs, they would participate more. However, more than eight in ten (84%) say they feel that everyone at their company gets offered the same health and wellbeing resources and 56% report that their employer has offered health and wellbeing resources that are not relevant to them.

Looking forward to 2019, 55% of employed Americans state that financial stability is their top health and wellbeing priority of 2019. Other popular priorities include healthy eating habits (46%), positive work and family relationships (41%), appropriate level of physical activity (40%), and adequate sleep (36%). Working Americans also want manageable stress levels (26%), control over existing health conditions (17%), and to find a higher purpose (13%).

About the Study

These are the findings from an Ipsos poll conducted December 18 - 20, 2018 on behalf of Welltok. For the survey, a sample of 1,097 adults ages 21 and over from the continental U.S., Alaska and Hawaii was interviewed online, in English. In order to qualify for the survey, adults must be working full time. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll has a credibility interval of ±3.4 percentage points for all respondents.

The sample for this study was randomly drawn from Ipsos’s online panel (see link below for more info on “Access Panels and Recruitment”), partner online panel sources, and “river” sampling (see link below for more info on the Ipsos “Ampario Overview” sample method) and does not rely on a population frame in the traditional sense. Ipsos uses fixed sample targets, unique to each study, in drawing sample. After a sample has been obtained from the Ipsos panel, Ipsos calibrates respondent characteristics to be representative of the U.S. Population using standard procedures such as raking-ratio adjustments. The source of these population targets is U.S. Census 2016 American Community Survey data. The sample drawn for this study reflects fixed sample targets on demographics. Post-hoc weights were made to the population characteristics on gender, age, and region.

Statistical margins of error are not applicable to online nonprobability sampling polls. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error and measurement error. Where figures do not sum to 100, this is due to the effects of rounding. Ipsos calculates a design effect (DEFF) for each study based on the variation of the weights, following the formula of Kish (1965). This study had a credibility interval adjusted for design effect of the following (n=1,097, DEFF=1.5, adjusted Confidence Interval=4.9).

For more information about conducting research intended for public release or Ipsos’ online polling methodology, please visit our Public Opinion Polling and Communication page where you can download our brochure, see our public release protocol, or contact us.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Chris Jackson
Vice President, U.S.
Ipsos Public Affairs
+1 202 420-2025
[email protected]

Marie-Pierre Lemay
Senior Account Manager, U.S.
Ipsos Public Affairs
+1 613 793-1622
[email protected]

About Ipsos

Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. Ipsos ranks fourth in the global research industry.
With offices in 89 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across five research specializations: brand, advertising and media; customer loyalty; marketing; public affairs research; and survey management.
Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe.
Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of €1,780.5 million in 2017.

 

The author(s)
  • Chris Jackson Senior Vice President, US, Public Affairs

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