It's up to employers to provide the solution, Gonzalez-Mulé continued, advising bosses everywhere to sit down and rethink the structure of the working day - overtime should be discouraged, and flexible working hours seriously considered.

He also suggested that employers should allow workers to set their own goals; giving them more control over their own workloads should help them to generate a healthy level of stress - and enjoy all the benefits it brings, as opposed to the negatives.

“You can avoid the negative health consequences if you allow them to set their own goals, set their own schedules, prioritise their decision-making and the like,” he said.

“Stressful jobs cause you to find ways to problem-solve and work through ways to get the work done."

Stress is genuinely good for you, experts reveal