1 in 4 take time off work due to stress but don't admit it

1 in 4 Brits have taken time off work due to stress but blamed it on physical illness instead, a report by Aviva has found.

“While stress is an abstract term without a specific medical definition, it can have a substantial impact on staff wellbeing and an organisation’s performance - both in a positive and negative sense," says Lisa Gillespie, Director of HR Services at Moorepay.

"Positive stress can motivate employees to stretch themselves and reach goals they previously thought unattainable. Negative stress, on the other hand, can have very serious consequences on employees’ health and their productivity.

“Employers will find themselves treading a fine line if they want to identify whether external unknown stress factors are affecting an employee. Or, indeed, if work-related worries are leaving a worker feeling overwhelmed.