According to a 2000 Gallup Poll, 80 percent of workers feel stress on the job and about half say they need help dealing with it. Job stress is an expensive problem for companies, as it leads to absenteeism and increased health costs. In some cases stress can lead to depression and workplace violence. The increase in job stress has been attributed to depersonalization in the workplace and the trimming down of workforces.
See "Stressed-out workers take large financial toll", Steve James, Chicago Tribune, August 12, 2003