London - One in four British workers have taken time off work for stress – but more than half of those hid it from their colleagues.
Those suffering from stress took an average of 16 days off work with the condition over the past five years, researchers found.
While more than half blamed their stress on unrealistic deadlines or workload, as well as long working hours, just under half said a lack of support or training contributed to their ill health.
But at least half of those suffering with stress told bosses that they had another illness, while two in five hid their condition for fear of being labelled “weak”. A quarter said they were too embarrassed to explain why they were off.
The survey of more than 2 000 adults by insurer LV= found one in seven continued working after being diagnosed with stress and seven in ten went back earlier than they should have done.
Workers in the private sector were more likely than those in the public sector to lie about why they were off due to worries about job security.
Myles Rix, of LV=, said: “Stress and related mental health issues affect nearly a quarter of the UK’s working population, and millions are putting their health at risk by returning to work too early, often for financial reasons.”
Daily Mail