More UK workers emotionally triggered by colleagues than work tasks

A recent report has published its findings looking at the emotions UK workers are experiencing and how they’re managing them in a professional environment.

The data, compiled by UK job board Totaljobs while working with Dr Terri Simpkin of University of Nottingham, revealed that of ‘The Big Six’ emotions we experience, joy has topped the overall results with 9 in 10 (91%) experiencing this key emotion over the course of a career.

Surprise (90%), anger (85%), sadness (82%), disgust (71%) and fear (61%) follow to form a complex emotional story we experience over our working lives.

Interestingly, a third (33%) of emotional events in the workplace are triggered by colleagues, compared to only 1 in 5 being sparked by actual work tasks.

It was also found that as many as 59% of the 2,000 workers surveyed feel that they are unable to freely express their true feelings in the workplace – 33% conceal their real emotions with a ‘positive face’.

Looking at how men and women express their emotions at work, the research showed a clear divide.

For example, women are more than twice as likely to cry in the workplace compared to male colleagues (41% vs 20%). In turn, men are twice as likely to start shouting (43% vs 26%).

Men are also twice as likely to get emotional because their ‘ideas weren’t heard’ or because they ‘were criticised’.

The data also shows that everyone’s emotions seem to evolve with age, for instance, Millennials undergo a particularly emotional ride as figures reveal they’re the age group most likely to experience sadness (91%), anger (91%) and disgust (80%) in the workplace.

However, over time workers begin to express ever more joy and surprise as they grow older. They also get less sad, angry, disgusted and fearful as they age. 

Lynn Cahillane, Head of Marketing at Totaljobs, commented, “Whether you’re an employee or an employer, the results of Totaljobs’s latest research shows just how important it is to understand how to manage our emotions in the workplace.

“Expressions of sadness or anger point to the fact that someone is probably overworked, stressed or frustrated in their role. Rather than seeing tears or emotions as a sign of weakness, employers should take them as a cue to listen, learn and understand the underlying issues. 

“Emotions can help reveal problems at work which need solving, as well as enable managers to understand how their teams react differently in certain situations. This gives employers the opportunity to adapt and show more compassion. In this way, emotional employees aren’t problems, they are a chance to help us learn how to create a better workspace.”

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