Worried and Stressed Out at Work? – speak to the Wife!

   

Trend Micro, a web security and antivirus company, has released some interesting survey results showing that a huge majority of small and medium-sized-business owners and managers are regularly worried and stressed about work.

Working with You Gov, Trend Micro surveyed a group of 519 small-business people and found that 80% of them worry or stress about work. But what is worrying them and who are they turning too?

While technology at work is meant to make their business life easier, the survey showed that it in fact adds to people’s angst. 22% of all respondents admitted to swearing at technology when it doesn’t work. 7% would even kick it! When asked about how their employees deal with problem technology, 65% of respondents say that their staff complain to them. Only 30% of staff will try to fix it and one in every ten (11%) staff members do nothing at all and just live with it. A worry in itself!

Another major concern for small-business owners and managers is the lack of resource available to them, 57% of respondents cited this as a major worry, as well as a heavy workload which accounted for 50% of those surveyed.

But what’s the solution for small or medium-sized companies? Turn to the bank manager, an accountant or other professional for help?

No. It seems that almost half (48%) of those surveyed are relying on the advice of a husband, wife or partner. Only 2% turn to their boss, a further 2% approach their accountant for advice, almost one in six (15%) keep their worries to themselves, while no one admits to confiding in the bank manager.

So, what can be done to remove worry from work? Having technology in place that actually works would help keep some respondents happy, it seems. 33% of small business people are seriously worried about the effects of computer viruses and 28% were concerned about receiving junk emails and spam. 65% are worried about their computer system completely shutting down.

“This survey confirms that there is a lot of anxiety within the small business sector at the moment and technology seems to be adding to the angst instead of helping to solve the problem” said Peter Craig, UK Product Marketing Manager. “This is why we felt it was so important to introduce a solution that helps small and medium-sized businesses take some of the worry out of work by better securing their business.”