Almost 3 in 5 hospitality workers are experiencing high levels of workplace stress, making it the most stressful industry in the UK.

As part of a brand new study, the team at private rehab clinic Delamere have crunched the numbers to reveal the industries that experience the highest levels of workplace stress. 

Hospitality is the most stressful industry in the UK with a staggering 57% of employees reporting workplace stress, ranking ahead of industries such as retail, transport, and education.

The industry scored a dreadful 0.0/10 for workplace stress, as well as 2.9/10 for health and well-being, and 0.7/10 for the measly average yearly salary of £20,015.

In fact, it was recorded that hotel workers felt a very high level of stress each day, which could be down to the physical expectations throughout the day, such as heavy lifting, short and irregular breaks, as well as dealing with the public.

The same can be said for the health and social care sector, as this kind of work usually involves being on your feet all day, as well as helping people out of chairs and beds. Overall, this industry ranked second when it came to stress levels, with an alarming score of 56.30%. 

At the other end of the scale, the industry that had the lowest record of stress was the information and communication sector, with a score of 47.50% overall. This is a fairly surprising result, as studies have highlighted that the constant need to learn and improve skills causes mounting pressure for IT employees. 

Sharing his thoughts on this matter, Martin Preston, chief executive and founder at Delamere said: ‘Stress in the workplace is disastrous for many reasons, one of them being that burn out can actually lead to being less productive and making mistakes. In industries that deal with machinery or are based in dangerous environments, this could have catastrophic consequences. 

‘Untreated stress and work burnout, which is made worse by the toxicity of grind or hustle culture, can lead to severe cases of anxiety and other mental health conditions – which could then, in turn, lead to an employee needing to go off work sick. 

The mental health of employees should always come first for a business, which is why it can be unprofessional and detrimental to contact employees outside of working hours or suggest that people work overtime for no extra income. 

‘This kind of mentality contributes directly to hustle culture, and could lead to employees feeling that they have failed if they ever take a break. Keep all communication within paid hours, and try as much as possible to build relationships with your employees outside of work – this will allow employers to get to know their workforce as human beings with emotional needs, and will in turn make their employees feel more comfortable when voicing concerns.’