Communications? Hardest game in the world

TUESDAY 25 JAN 2011 9:49 AM

COMMUNICATIONS? HARDEST GAME IN THE WORLD

Communications and marketing professionals are the most stressed employees in the UK.

That’s according to a new survey by recruitment consultancy Michael Page. The study of 3,000 office workers aged between 18 and 45 quizzed respondents on their level of stress throughout the typical working week and found that 47% of employees in the communications sector cite a heavy workload as the reason for the strain. One in five call in sick, just to avoid the pressures of work.

The study also reveals that, with the option of “something better to do”, a third would leave their job, while more than half have said that they intend to leave their roles within the next three months.

Half of those surveyed pin-pointed mid-morning on Tuesday as their 'stress peak' – when their workload becomes 'too much' and they start to crumble under the pressure.

The majority said they coast through Monday getting their brain in gear and catch up with gossip from the weekend and discussing TV shows they've watched. But on Tuesday reality sets in and staff spend the very first part of the day going through emails they ignored on Monday before planning the week ahead.