Presenteeism on the Rise as Employees Show Fatigue From a Slow- to No-Hire Economy

Some 63 percent report high stress levels; more than one-third lose an hour per day of work due to stress

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Oct 29, 2012, 04:46 ET

CHICAGO, Oct. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Presenteeism has risen to 22 percent, according to the latest StressPulse^SM survey by ComPsych Corp. ComPsych is the world's largest provider of employee assistance programs and is the pioneer and leading provider of fully integrated EAP, behavioral health, wellness, work-life, HR and FMLA administration services under the GuidanceResources brand.

"As employers continue to take a wait-and-see approach when it comes to hiring, people who currently have jobs – many of whom have taken on extra work – are starting to show signs of prolonged stress," said Dr. Richard A. Chaifetz, Chairman and CEO of ComPsych. "This can result in burnout and reduced performance.

"Employers should communicate clearly to workers about staffing expectations, and should support employees with resources to reduce stress and balance work-life issues," he added.

Key Findings of StressPulse:

Presenteeism, or workers who see "being present" as their top priority, is up 3 points from 2011 to 22 percent
36 percent of employees lose an hour or more per day at work due to stress
Stress/personal relationship issues is the number one reason for absences, continuing to outpace personal illness and caregiving as the most-common reason for missing work

To see the full survey results, go here.

The StressPulse survey was conducted from Sept. 3 to Oct. 1, 2012, receiving responses from 1,880 employees nationwide.

About ComPsych
ComPsych^® Corporation is the world's largest provider of employee assistance programs (EAP) and is the pioneer and worldwide leader of fully integrated EAP, behavioral health, wellness, work-life, HR and FMLA administration services under the GuidanceResources^® brand. ComPsych provides services to more than 17,000 organizations covering more than 45 million individuals throughout the U.S. and over 100 countries. By creating "Build-to-Suit" programs, ComPsych helps employers attract and retain employees, increase employee productivity and improve overall health and well-being. Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ComPsych.

www.compsych.com

SOURCE ComPsych Corporation