Almost five million people have called in sick over the past year because of stress, research has revealed.
People aged between 18-24 are most likely (24%) to call in sick because of stress.
The data has been released to coincide with National Stress Awareness Day.
People going to work while suffering stress contribute to poor performance of business and services, and can be a contributor to poor care and errors.
The International Stress Management Association estimates that the financial cost to the UK of stress is about £60bn or almost £1,000 per man, woman and child.
David Williams, director of group protection at Friends Life said: “It’s clear from our data that many workers continue to live under a serious burden of stress, particularly those under the age of 25.
“Employers can provide valuable services for their employees that can help prevent and manage stress. It is important that employers spot the signs of stress early to ensure that action can be taken to help employees feeling pressurised.”
The researchers found that women are more likely to be stressed about money (34%) than work (23%).
But the opposite was true for men, with 31% of men saying work causes them the most stress followed by money, at 28%.
