Work colleagues a major cause of stress, study says

Research by insurance firm MetLife UK indicated that the problem was being added to by understaffing or inexperienced workers.

More than half of 1,000 adults surveyed said their job was more stressful than a year ago.

Just over a third blamed pressure from their line manager for creating stress, while a similar number said it was down to having to meet performance targets.

Adrian Matthews, employee benefits director at MetLife UK, said: “Employees are telling us that a major cause of stress at work is unfortunately the people they work with.

“Either there aren’t enough of them, or the ones that are there are failing to deliver and making it harder for others.

“Add financial wellbeing to the mix and it is clear workplace stress is a growing issue. It’s an issue that employers need to address and the numbers suffering from it demonstrate that taking action will produce measurable results relatively quickly and without major investment.”