Stress Takes Its Toll on PR Pros

Salaries are rising for PR pros, but not as quickly as their stress levels, a new study from Muck Rack reveals.

“The State of Work-Life Balance in PR” surveyed more than 2,000 PR pros on topics including stress, burnout, vacation days and salary. The results show a workforce in which many employees at both brands and agencies are suffering from the effects of exhaustion and burnout.

Those effects are so pronounced that half (50 percent) of the survey respondents said they have considered quitting over the past year because of burnout. The only exception to that was for respondents who work in c-suite positions.

Almost as many have made good on that threat. More than four out of 10 respondents (44 percent, including c-suiters) said they have actually quit a job because of burnout. But those who work at brands seem to be feeling the stress even more than those at agencies, with 48 percent of respondents at brands saying that stress has pushed them out of a past position, as opposed to 36 percent at agencies.

When asked to rate their stress level on a scale of one to 10, 70 percent of those surveyed put their stress level at six or above, with only nine percent placing it at a three or below.

What exactly is stressing out so many PR pros? Workload comes out at the top of the list, with being “always on” and deadlines close behind. Almost half (45 percent) of respondents said they often have to juggle seven or more projects at once.

More than half (58 percent) report working for more than 40 hours per week, and 78 percent say they work outside regular business hours at least once a week. Perhaps not surprisingly, nearly all of those surveyed (96 percent) said they have trouble “switching off” after work.

They also are leaving a considerable number of vacation days unused. On average, respondents said they only took 72 percent of the vacation days they were entitled to. And even when they are on vacation, 88 percent of those surveyed said they’ve been interrupted during paid time off at least once.

When it comes to the effect of work environment on stress, respondents give a big thumbs down to in-office work, with only 7 percent calling it their “ideal work arrangement.” While 38 percent voice a preference for fully remote work, 56 percent say they’d be happiest with hybrid work.

Salaries, however, provide a bit of a bright spot. Yearly pay for pros at brands is up by 3 percent over last year, hitting an average of $110,000, while agency employees saw a pay hike of 4 percent, up to an average of $83,500.

The study also provides strategies to help PR pros manage stress. Those include building self-awareness around which activities cause the most stress, setting priorities, protecting your time and taking care of yourself by getting enough sleep and exercise, as well as eating right and staying hydrated.

Muck Rack’s study surveyed 1,604 PR pros between April 4 and May 10, and 607 PR pros from July 22 to August 5.