Member Article

The most stressful day of the week

MONDAYS ARE universally renowned as one of the worst days of the week, but new data has revealed that they are also the most stressful, according to British workers.

A study of 1,011 UK adults in full or part-time employment, conducted by Cascade HR as part of The Stress Report, found almost half (47%) cite Monday as the most stressful day in their working week.

The data revealed a heavier workload is the biggest contributor to employees’ nightmare Mondays, with 39% stating this as a key factor.

Feeling tired influences stress levels for 29% of British workers, while having to deal with difficult people plays a part for 28%.

More than 1 in 4 (26%) claim this day brings tougher pressing deadlines and longer working hours (1 in 5).

Perhaps surprisingly, it is the last day of the traditional working week that UK workers find to be the second most stressful, while Thursdays are considered the least stressful.

Oliver Shaw, CEO at Cascade HR, said: “It’s interesting to see that Mondays are considered the most stressful day of the week for the UK workforce.

“While some might think that Mondays bring a fresh start, it’s clear to see that this isn’t as idyllic as it sounds. It often means bigger workloads, tougher deadlines and longer working hours. This, combined with workers feeling increasingly tired, results in them feeling more stressed.

“Employers and managers should be mindful of this when dealing with staff, delegating work or arranging meetings as it’s likely that workers will respond better to being eased in gently after the weekend.”

Shaw added: “Paradoxically, the last day in the conventional working week is also considered a particularly stressful day - this is perhaps due to tasks needing to be wrapped up ahead of the weekend but also, shorter working hours on Fridays could play a part.

“Employers should therefore take advantage of when their workforce is feeling the least stressed - Thursdays. Perhaps management could use Thursdays to address difficult conversations, or they could utilise this day for creative sessions or brainstorms.”

Cascade is an award-winning provider of fully integrated HR software and HMRC recognised payroll software, suitable for organisations of any size.

For more information, please visit: www.cascadehr.co.uk/stress-report

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Katie Mallinson .