A recent survey highlights increasing stress levels in UK workplaces, identifying Sheffield, London, and Manchester as the most affected areas with high reports of toxicity.
- Half of Britain’s workforce experiences significant stress at work, linked to heavy workloads and management pressures.
- Younger employees, particularly aged 25-34, face greater pressure, with 17% feeling unable to take breaks due to employer demands.
- Gender disparities exist, with 9% of men and 6% of women feeling pressured to forego their annual leave.
- Over half of UK workers leave holiday entitlement unused, highlighting challenges within the country’s work culture.
In a recent survey conducted by Timetastic, Sheffield, London, and Manchester emerged as the cities with the highest levels of toxic workplace environments. The data reveals that 10% of employees in Sheffield, 9.5% in London, and 9% in Manchester reported feeling overwhelmed by work-related stress, primarily due to the inability to utilise their annual leave. In comparison, only 7.5% of employees in other UK regions shared similar sentiments, highlighting a troubling concentration in these major cities.
Employees aged between 25 and 34 are particularly affected by the demanding nature of work culture, often described as ‘hustle culture.’ Around 17% of this age group feel an intense pressure from management that discourages them from taking necessary breaks. This culture of hustle disproportionately affects younger workers, with both gender and age playing significant roles in the experiences reported. Among the genders, 9% of men and 6% of women stated feeling an obligation to stay at their desks rather than utilise their allocated holiday.
Oliver Higenbottam, Managing Director of Timetastic, emphasised the importance of taking regular breaks. He remarked, “If there’s one thing this data shows, it’s that employees have a way to go to make the most of their annual leave allowance. Taking a break isn’t just a ‘nice to have’—it’s crucial for health, well-being, and overall productivity.” His comments underline a crucial need within these workplaces to actively support and encourage the utilisation of leave entitlement.
The broader survey by Timetastic revealed that over 61% of UK workers did not exhaust their annual leave in 2023, equating to approximately 20 million individuals missing out on their entitled time off. Despite the financial pressures of the ongoing cost of living crisis, more people are beginning to prioritise breaks over additional income, indicating a slow yet perceptible shift towards valuing personal well-being over monetary gain.
Interestingly, although there is an improvement in employees making use of their full holiday entitlement—from 29% in 2022 to 31% in 2023—there remains a stark gender discrepancy. Women tend to utilise all their leave more frequently than men, with 34% of women doing so compared to only 29% of men. Additionally, financial incentives for unused leave seem to perpetuate this divide, as men are more likely to sell their leave or receive payments for unutilised time, with 15% of men choosing this option against 10% of women.
The findings underscore the need for UK workplaces to prioritise employee well-being by fostering an environment where taking scheduled breaks is both supported and encouraged.
