Summer stress is causing employees to ‘burnout’

The summer is supposed to be a time to relax, spend time with loved ones and take a well-earned holiday, right? But that’s not always the case. The stress of the busy summer months is causing many employees to experience ‘burnout’ – our National Account Manager for Protection, Craig Bryce, takes a look at what’s causing ‘burnout’ and what impact it could have on your clients if they’re not suitably protected.

A few weeks ago, I was shocked to learn that heightened stress in the workplace during the busy summer seasons is causing half of employees to experience ‘burnout’ or chronic stress, according to the latest Wellbeing index Report from Westfield Health which analyses the state of the nation’s wellbeing at work and home.

The report highlighted an increase in ‘leavism’ – which is a term used to describe employees who are working outside of their contracted hours, or whilst on annual leave. 11% of employees admitted to responding to calls and emails while they should have been enjoying themselves on holidays and a substantial 36% of employees believed their boss expects them to be on standby resulting in a fifth of holiday time being spent worrying about work!

Employees are experiencing a vicious cycle of stress and anxiety that is having a detrimental impact on their wellbeing in the run up to, during, and after they come back from their summer break, leaving them no time for vital recovery.

This mounting pressure isn’t helped by the fact that over a third of HR professionals surveyed say their workplace doesn’t do enough to prepare for staff holiday and the decrease in staff in the office over summer months.

But what if ‘burnout’ leads to your clients needing time off work? Are they suitably protected? Being able to secure the peace of mind that your clients deserve, especially around the summer months could be invaluable for them.

Do they know that they’re only entitled to £94.25 of statutory sick pay per week from the state? Do they think they would be able to live off of that money? Once you’ve asked them these questions, now do they think that they don’t need protection?

Having some income protection in place could lift some of the weight off of your clients shoulders and allow them to enjoy the special summer months with their loved ones!

Join our award-winning Mortgage Network as an appointed representative, or become a member of our Mortgage Club, to start benefiting from our fantastic range of comprehensive services and support. Call the Broker Support Team on 0345 130 7446 (opt 1) to find out more.

Payment Protection Insurance is optional. There are other products designed to protect you against loss of income.