A study from BHN Extras has suggested that Britain’s workforce has entered a ‘coping era’ at work, with employees increasingly working through illness, staying constantly connected and sacrificing wellbeing just to keep up with workplace pressure.
Using its Coping Index, BHN Extras segmented responses from 1,500 employees into five groups based on workplace wellbeing and ability to manage pressure: Thriving, Satisfied, Coping, Struggling and Under Pressure. The findings reveal a growing divide between employees who feel energised and in control at work, and those relying on unhealthy coping behaviours simply to get through the working day.
The findings point to a workplace culture where stress-related behaviours are becoming increasingly normalised across the workforce. Six in 10 (60 per cent) employees under pressure say they continue working while sick, compared to just 6 per cent of employees who are thriving at work. More than half (57 per cent) also regularly respond to messages outside working hours, while only 8 per cent of thriving employees say the same.
The pressure is also beginning to affect employees’ long-term wellbeing. Nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of workers under pressure have taken sick leave due to stress or burnout within the last three months, while 31 per cent regularly sacrifice social connection to keep up with workloads, compared to just 2 per cent of thriving workers.
Rather than reflecting productivity or engagement, the findings suggest many employees are operating in “survival mode” as workplace pressure intensifies. Employees under pressure reported some of the highest usage rates of health cover (34 per cent), gym and wellness discounts (28 per cent) and mental health support (22 per cent), yet fewer than half (49 per cent) say they make full or good use of their benefits package overall.
Despite these behaviours becoming increasingly common across UK workplaces, many employers appear disconnected from the reality employees are experiencing.
While 90 per cent of employers say they are confident they understand their workforce, nearly half (43 per cent) of employees under pressure say they feel their employer does not understand them.
A clear divide also exists across seniority levels. More than half (51 per cent) of C-level executives say they feel “fully understood” by their employer, compared to just 19 per cent of semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers.
The findings suggest senior leaders may be experiencing a very different version of workplace culture compared to the employees they manage, creating a growing “leadership bubble” around wellbeing and support.
Peter Dando, Senior Director, Employee Benefits & Recognition at BHN Extras, commented: “For many employees, coping has become the new normal at work. Behaviours often associated with commitment – like working while sick or staying online after hours – are increasingly signs that employees are struggling under sustained pressure.
“What’s particularly striking is that the same behaviour can reflect very different experiences,” he added. “Employees who are thriving are far more likely to say they work late out of personal choice, while those under pressure are more likely to stay online because of workload or management expectations.
“Our research suggests many organisations are still misreading these coping behaviours as signs of productivity. It therefore highlights a growing need for employers to take a more active role in supporting workforce wellbeing and addressing the pressures impacting employees day-to-day.”
