So if, like me, you’re feeling a little strung out this week, perhaps you can take some small comfort in knowing that you’re not alone. Stress levels in our industry are, according to a survey by PrintWeek’s sister magazine Human Resources, on the up.
Two-thirds of print industry directors say that stress is more of a problem than it was a year ago, while alarmingly, a quarter say that line managers spend as much as 10 hours a week dealing with stressed employees – an extraordinary figure.
Worse, stress is hitting the industry where it hurts: the balance sheet. According to the statistics, a print employee will take around seven days of sick leave a year, costing £725 per employee. Much of this absenteeism is, according to the survey, caused by stress.
But then, talk to most managers and they will say that they thrive on stress. It’s what gets the adrenaline pumping and, in the end, makes things happen. A top managing director at a manufacturer once told me he was spurred on by the fear of failure. And think how dull life would be if clients wanted work in three weeks’ time, and not tomorrow.
So perhaps some stress isn’t such a bad thing – in any case, in a competitive world, it’s inevitable. Still, I hope you had a relaxing bank holiday and that the summer brings a busy but serene period for everyone in print. In the meantime, mine’s a stiff whisky.
Josh Brooks is deputy editor and news editor of PrintWeek.
It's just another manic bank holiday Monday
With the bank holiday and half-term week upon us, you'll probably fall into one of two camps: those who have their feet up and are enjoying the time off, or those who are stuck in work, panicking about how they will hit their deadlines while being a few hands down. (With a day less than normal to produce the magazine and no baby Brookses to talk of just yet, you can imagine which group I'm in.)
