According to research done by the People Element consultancy, South Africa loses as much as R3 billion a year due to workplace stress, low productivity, absenteeism, burnout and other stress-related issues.
There has also been more research which shows that South Africa's level of stress in the workplace is higher when compared to the rest of the world.
On #NightTalk, Gugs and Sizwe spoke to organisational psychologist Karin Wellman about the factors behind workplace stress in South Africa, and the cost of unhappiness in the workplace.
Listen to the full interview below.
We were in the middle of a financial crisis in 2012, and many organisations were forcing employees to work harder, to do more with less
— Karin Wellman, organisational psychologist
We are in a better situation today, but we are still seeing the cost of stress in the workplace
— Karin Wellman, organisational psychologist
There's unbelievable competitiveness in the workplace
— Karin Wellman, organisational psychologist
When we're not busy, we start to feel nervous, we feel jumpy, we feel anxious. These are all signs of addiction
— Karin Wellman, organisational psychologist
When you take leave, what does your out of office email message say?
— Karin Wellman, organisational psychologist