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Stress is becoming an increasingly prominent issue for employees and should be addressed by managers, says a new report.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) says one in five people now experience a high level of stress at work, with almost half revealing they are under 'excessive' pressure every week.

In total 44 per cent of those asked by the CIPD said they were under pressure once or twice a week, with estimated annual costs for British business of £9.6 billion.

Now the organisation is urging firms to train line managers to do more to recognise the symptoms of excessive stress and has published three new guides to help ahead of a conference on the subject in London.

Run in conjunction with the Health and Safety Executive, the CIPD's publications and events will highlight what employee relations adviser Ben Willmott says is a "common cause of long-term absence".

"[Stress] also damages employee morale and productivity and leads to high staff turnover," he added.

"Employers that fail to manage stress are also vulnerable to litigation and potentially high compensation payouts."

"Good people management can help to prevent most of the problems causing stress at work, such as lack of control over workload."

The CIPD says managers should foster a calm working environment and also take the lead in managing workload and providing feedback to their staff.

A recent survey by Bupa claimed work-related stress is responsible for six million days of sick leave every year.