Public sector workers suffer more stress than their private sector
counterparts, according to a survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and
Development.
Almost 40 per cent of NHS staff and 30 per cent of local government workers
find their work stressful. Yet, according to the poll of 1,000 public and
private sector staff, only 25 per cent of all staff claim they are stressed.
The report Pressure at Work and the Psychological Contract cites the long
hours and heavy workloads in the public sector as the biggest reason for
stress, followed by a decline in work satisfaction.
The report claims the psychological contract – the mutual expectations of
employers and staff – is under most pressure in the public sector.
Only 7 per cent of central government employees believe strongly that the
organisation cares about their opinions, while only 20 per cent feel fairly
treated by their manager.
Mike Emmott, employee relations adviser at the CIPD, believes the public
sector must focus on HR if it is to reduce stress levels and improve staff
satisfaction and services.
"The NHS has relatively few HR professionals, while national and local
government needs to pay more attention to the way people management policies
are implemented," he said.
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