More than four in five Irish employees are experiencing increased levels of personal stress according to a Red C survey of small and large firms, carried out for the consulting firm Mercer in Ireland and the UK.

The three principal issues causing increased anxiety to employees are, which interestingly did not include debt repayment were:

• Concerns about maintaining a healthy lifestyle

• Retirement savings and concerns about providing for family in the event of death/illness

• And concerns about paying household bills

Two thirds of workers say that these worries are affecting their concentration when in the workplace, while more than half say that their productivity levels are down.

82% are affected by personal stress away from work - while 59% are worried that they cannot maintain a healthy lifestyle while working in their current job.

In each case the average levels of stress were higher amongst Irish employees than their equivalents in the UK.

Commenting on the findings, Niall O'Callaghan, Mercer partner said that it is in the interest of employers to address the issues which are causing this stress and loss of productivity.