A significant proportion of Irish workers, particularly women and parents, are feeling more stressed because of their employer’s return-to-office policies, new research from Irish Life has revealed.
Based on a survey of more than 1,000 people nationally, the insurer’s latest annual Health of the Nation index reveals that one in three workers is feeling at least some pressure to work in the office more than they should.
Women are more likely to feel the pinch, according to the data.
Some 30 per cent of women surveyed said that increased contact hours in the office are negatively affecting their flexibility to manage other responsibilities, compared with 24 per cent of men.
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In general, parents are more likely to feel stressed, with 76 per cent reporting at least one stress factor related to work or family responsibilities, compared to the national average of 59 per cent.
One in three parents also said they had been negatively impacted by the return to the office and a reduction in their remote working time.
The research, which Irish Life has conducted annually since 2018, found that while general wellbeing has increased slightly for the first time in several years, the national index remains below pre-pandemic levels.
Stress levels in general are rising, with 29 per cent feeling anxious or stressed more than half the time, Irish Life said. Adults under 35 were the most stressed age cohort, with more than two-thirds reporting feeling stressed weekly.
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Half of younger adults also report receiving a large amount of health-related content through social media, while almost one-third said they had used artificial intelligence to get a better understanding of their health.
However, despite increased technological usage, more people want to spend less time on social media and the internet in general. More than half of respondents said they want to cut back on their social media use specifically.
“What really stood out in this year’s findings is the number of people actively seeking to reduce their dependence on social media,” said Stacey Machesney, head of health and wellbeing at Irish Life.
