Workplace stress affects most Czech employees, survey finds
CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES — A majority of workers in the Czech Republic are facing rising workplace stress, with growing concerns that insufficient mental health support could shape employee retention and productivity in the evolving future of work, according to a new survey by Grafton Recruitment as reported by Staffing Industry Analysts.
The findings highlight a workforce under pressure, as companies across industries continue to adapt slowly to mental health needs despite increasing awareness of well-being as a business priority.
Workplace stress rises across Czech industries
Two-thirds of employees in the Czech Republic report experiencing workplace stress, with a significant share describing it as severe enough to impact their health and performance.
While stress levels remain high overall, the survey also shows a mixed picture of employee experience. Nearly a fifth of respondents reported only minimal stress, while 16% said they found workplace pressure motivating rather than harmful.
Stress is not evenly distributed across sectors. It is most prevalent in business and finance, where workload intensity and performance pressure are particularly high.
These patterns point to a broader challenge in the future of work: balancing productivity demands with employee mental health in increasingly fast-paced and hybrid work environments.
Mental health support lags behind workforce needs
Despite rising stress levels, access to workplace mental health support remains limited.
According to the survey, only about one-fifth of employees have access to mental health programs, and usage is inconsistent.
From an employer perspective, just 25% of companies offer such initiatives, while another 14% plan to introduce them. However, the majority—60% of organisations—have no support programmes in place and do not intend to implement them.
“Unfortunately, it turns out that in industries with a high workload, which is also based on demanding shift work in the vast majority of cases, support remains the least developed,” said Jitka Kouba, marketing director at Grafton Recruitment and Gi Group.
Sector differences are also significant. In services, 30% of employers offer mental health support, compared with 22% in industry and just 15% in logistics.
In contrast, more than 60% of companies in business and IT services provide such programmes, according to data cited by Grafton Recruitment from the Association of Business Service Leaders.
Experts warn that employers who fail to address well-being risks may struggle in an increasingly competitive labor market.
Kouba noted that wellbeing is becoming a decisive factor in retention, adding that “companies that underestimate this area may lose competitiveness on the labour market in the future.”
As workplaces evolve, the findings underscore a growing reality: mental health is no longer a secondary concern, but a central pillar of sustainable work in the future economy.
