Des Moines Workers More Stressed Than Happy At Holidays: Study

DES MOINES, IA — Maybe we need to hum a few carols, or take another trip around the company treat table this holiday season. Whatever will get us in the festive mood, it appears Des Moines workers could use it.

A holiday survey of professionals by the staffing agency Accountemps found that Des Moines ranked 22nd among 27 cities on the "happy at the holidays" scale, while rising to 17th on the "most stressed" list.

Bah, humbug. Maybe Santa will be extra nice to us as a result.

The survey dubbed San Francisco the happiest city for workers at the holidays, followed by New York City.

Really? One has four lighted trees ranging four to seven stories tall and a holiday lights boat parade on Fisherman's Wharf, while the other is looking forward to celebrating the country's biggest party in a few weeks when a million people watch a ball drop. Those factors alone probably wildly skewed the survey results.

Pittsburgh and Philadelphia claimed the top two spots for stress during the holidays, so if you were planning to visit Pennsylvania for Christmas, maybe you should invite the family to come to Iowa instead.

Overall, 42 percent of Des Moines workers say they’re happier on the job during the holidays, while 30 percent say they are more stressed this time of year.

Nationally the Accountemps survey found 51 percent of respondents are more cheerful at work during the holidays (clearly the ones with a nice array of homemade goodies on the treat table), while 35 percent noted they are more stressed on the job at holiday time. The three factors workers report make them most stressed this time of year are:

• Balancing holiday events and work obligations (32 percent)
• Taking time off and returning to a backlog of work (23 percent)
• Having fewer people on the job to help (18 percent)

Take note, bosses. Employees also suggested three things to help lift their spirits: year-end bonuses, more flexible work schedules and additional paid vacation time.

And really, isn't a happier worker a more productive worker? Let me grab a glass of egg nog and then I'll look for a survey to that effect. Meanwhile, check out how Des Moines compared to the other 26 cities surveyed:

Graphics provided by Accountemps