Stress still No.1 issue for garage workers, says Ben survey

Stress continues to be the primary and growing issue affecting workers across the automotive industry, according to latest analysis by industry charity Ben.

The top five health and wellbeing issues identified for automotive workers are stress (57%), poor sleep (52%), anxiety (44%), low mood (41%) and not taking time out to rest or relax (43%), the annual health and wellbeing report indicated.

Poor work-life balance has increased by 6%, to 38%, and this issue is most common for those working in showrooms, parts departments, and garages, Ben said. Long hours, low staffing levels and high workloads are also growing concerns.

Nearly all 1,000-plus survey respondents said they personally had been affected by a health and wellbeing issue during the previous year, according to the survey released yesterday.

Mental health scores have got worse over the past 12 months and automotive workers cited they believe employers need to do more to support them, with one in nine personally affected by a lack of support for mental health in the workplace.

‘Poor mental health’

Ben said the results of the eighth annual survey continue to show that automotive workers are more likely to experience issues with work-life balance and mental health, compared to other UK workers. Mental health issues remain the most prominent of the top 10 issues, affecting hundreds of people in the automotive industry.

The survey also revealed that almost one in four automotive workers are considering leaving the industry and, of these people, one in two are considering doing so due to poor mental health.

Money worries are also a big problem, with many still impacted by cost-of-living pressures. One in six reported skipping meals, one in five have experienced issues with debt and one in four of those considering leaving the industry reported financial problems.

Ben’s CEO Rachel Clift said “These insights allow us to engage with employers and industry partners, so we can collectively work towards improving the resilience, wellbeing and motivation of automotive workers and the industry as a whole.

“Following these results, we want to ensure that everyone who works, or has worked, in the automotive industry knows we’re there for them, so please get in touch if you’re struggling by visiting www.ben.org.uk/gethelp. We also work closely with employers to support employees — you can read more in our full report, or by visiting www.ben.org.uk/business.”