Women spend significantly more time feeling anxious at work than their male colleagues, according to a study.
The Working Life: Employee Attitudes and Engagement report by Kingston University’s School of HR Management and commissioned by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, found that women were much less likely than men to feel calm and relaxed in the workplace, although female workers still tended to be more satisfied with their job.
Dr Emma Soane, who worked with pollster Ipsos MORI to conduct the survey of 2,000 workers, said the findings suggested women were more emotionally attached to their jobs.
“This greater level of involvement would explain why some women experience anxiety at work, but also feel positive about their role,” she said.
“Women are more likely than men to be caring for children or other family members, and the pressure of juggling multiple roles could be the reason why they worry more in the workplace.”
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Women were, however, found to be more likely to encounter some form of bullying or harassment at work with 29% saying they had experienced harassment at work, compared with just 19% of men.
Female workers also felt more positive about their senior management team than men, with four in 10 (41%) saying they had confidence in their senior managers, compared to 34% of men.
