South: IT staff suffering from sharp rise in stress levels, finds GFI Software

There is a stark increase in IT professionals suffering from workplace stress, unpaid overtime pressures and work/life imbalance, according to the findings of GFI Software's fourth annual independent IT admin stress survey.

The 2015 study found a large jump in the number of IT professionals feeling both the impact of job-related stress and a desire to quit their current job due to stress.

88% of those surveyed are experiencing workplace stress, while almost 90% of respondents are actively considering leaving their current IT job due to workplace stress and dissatisfaction with working conditions, up from 68% in 2014.

For the fourth year running, high workplace stress levels for IT professionals are dramatically impacting both employees and employers. These impacts are illustrated by increases in those staff looking to find another job, and in those working increasing amounts of unpaid overtime to cope with workloads. A growing number of IT staff are also experiencing substantial disruption to their personal lives as a result of work demands.

The independent blind study was conducted by Opinion Matters among 205 UK IT administrators in companies of 10 or more people. The survey gauged respondents’ stress levels at work and revealed their opinions on their main stressors, as well as how their stress level compares to that of friends and family and how it affects their personal and professional lives.

Key findings from the survey include:

-  88% of all UK IT staff surveyed consider their job stressful – up from 67% in 2014
-  Nearly half (47%) have missed social functions due to overrunning issues and tight deadlines at work, up from 36% in 2014
-  A further 37% also report missing time with their children due to work demands imposing on their personal time
-  Nearly one third (32%) of IT staff regularly lose sleep due to work pressures
-  The number of respondents experiencing stress-related illnesses increased slightly to 17%, down from 19% in 2014
-  Nonetheless, a further 15% continue to report feeling in poor physical condition due to work demands, the same as last year.

A copy of the full survey results and infographic can be found here.