Employers 'must do more to help stressed accountants'

The Chartered Accountants' Benevolent Association (CABA) has revealed that many people working in the financial services industry are suffering from stress and urged employers to do more to monitor the mood of their employees.

According to a vox pop at the Accountex exhibition last week, stress levels have gone up over the past year because of a variety of factors, reports Accountancy Live.

Kath Haines, CABA chief executive, said: "While this is not as scientific as our usual research, it very much underlines the results of previous surveys undertaken by CABA that indicate accountants are feeling increasingly stressed."

More than 75 per cent of visitors to its stand throughout the conference suggested that the profession has become more stressful over the last 12 months, she explained.

Traditional stress triggers, such as the difficulty of juggling home and work commitments, and the general long hours working culture seen in accountancy, have become more intense in recent times.

However, there are also new problems emerging that are making things difficult for accountants, with personal finances causing a great deal of concern in the current economic climate.

Ms Haines urged employers to put processes in place that will help workers deal with these issues, as well as leading to happier and better-performing staff who can help the company move forward.

The recent wellbeing report from CABA suggested that 61 per cent of accountants are satisfied with their professional life, a relatively impressive figure in the modern working world. However, concerns remain that employers are not offering enough support when it comes to career development, while a fifth wanted more help with the challenges the profession throws up.

"We very much hope that the results of the Wellbeing Survey will be used as the starting point for debate with interested parties about where CABA should be concentrating its resources in the next strategic cycle," said Ms Haines.