Many Irish workers claim to be stressed in their jobs, however the problem appears to be greater among men, a new survey suggests.

According to the findings, 53% of workers say they are extremely stressed during the working week. But when it comes to stress on a daily basis, 70% of males admit this is a problem for them, compared to 32% of women.

Just 12% of people say they have never been stressed at work.

Common causes of stress include a heavy workload, job insecurity, unrealistic targets and incompetent colleagues.

Among males, the biggest cause of stress was found to be a heavy workload, while for women, it was unrealistic or unachievable job targets.

Stressed workers displayed a number of symptoms, including anxiety, depression, disrupted sleep, mood swings, poor memory and changes in eating habits.

When asked how stress levels could be reduced in the workplace, a number of suggestions were made, including more flexible working hours, free weekly exercise classes and a games room or calm room to relax in.

The survey was conducted on behalf of office suppliers, Viking.