Working from home is making over half of Irish workers feel stressed out

As Ireland enters its ninth week of lockdown, new research has revealed the mental health impact of working from home during a global pandemic. Commissioned by LinkedIn, the research surveyed 2,000 adults in Ireland who are currently working from home due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

Stress & Anxiety

Over half of respondents (56%) said that they felt more anxious or stressed about work than before lockdown was introduced. On average, those surveyed are working 38 hours of overtime per month, or the equivalent of an extra working week.

LinkedIn’s research also found that men were more likely to feel anxious and stressed than women, with 61% of male respondents revealing that they are experiencing these feelings while working from home, compared to 54% of women.

The lockdown is also having a greater impact on the stress levels of younger workers, with over 70% of professional respondents under-24 saying that they feel stressed or anxious as a result of working from home and over 63% of 25-34-year-olds also reporting stress and anxiety levels. This is compared to 41% of 45-54-year-olds and 34% of those aged over-55.

Working from home has also resulted in 46% of over 55-year-olds saying that they missed interacting with their colleagues – compared to just 24% of under-24 years olds  – and over one-fifth (21%) admitting to feeling lonely. Additionally, more than one-third (36%) said that the lockdown has affected their ability to focus and 27% said that they have found themselves being easily distracted by their home environment.

Blurring of Work & Home Life

The merging of home and work environments also resulted in almost one-quarter of respondents struggling to switch off at the end of the day.

Adding to these concerns is a desire among respondents to prove that they deserve to keep their jobs; 43% said they felt under pressure to answer emails and calls quicker than usual or be visible online while they are remote working, while 12% expressed concern that they will be judged as having performed poorly during the lockdown.

LinkedIn’s research shows that keeping their job is the biggest concern among respondents: 41% expressed concern that their employer may no longer operate or make staff redundant. This rises to almost half (48%) of those within the 35-44 age group.

The future of work

Despite the additional stress and anxiety, it seems many are using this time to connect with loved ones, with one-fifth of respondents saying their personal relationships have been positively impacted.

Almost one-third of female respondents (32%) say that they are exercising more, at home, while almost half (48%) of respondents said they are grateful to be able to spend more quality time with their family.

As workplaces prepare return to work strategies following the publication of the government’s roadmap to re-open society and business through the phased easing of restrictions, LinkedIn’s research also shows that post-lockdown, the world of work may look very different.

Over half of respondents (51%) want more flexible hours and the option of working from home, while one-third would like to see greater use of video conferencing instead of meetings. In a sign that Covid-19 has made us reassess how we treat our colleagues, almost one-third (31%) of respondents also said that post lockdown, they intend to be kinder to colleagues.

Lisa Finnegan, Senior HR Director at LinkedIn, says: “Covid-19 has impacted how we all work, not least those heroes on the frontline. Whilst it is a very different set of challenges, for those of us who are fortunate enough to work from home, we are seeing the impact this is having on our mental health.”

“This topic is at the heart of the surge in conversations on LinkedIn at the moment – which have increased by 55% amongst connections from March 2019 to March 2020. I’ve shared my own experiences with burnout and mental health on LinkedIn – both as a manager and employee – and encourage others to do the same, to open up the conversation and help others going through the same thing to feel less alone.”

Find support from others working from home on LinkedIn by joining the conversation with #WorkingFromHome

LinkedIn Learning has also made free courses available to help people manage stress and improve their resilience.