Three-quarters (75%) of London respondents said stress is a significant barrier to productivity in their job, according to research by Canada Life Group.
Its research, which surveyed 763 UK employees, found that only 22% London respondents said stress has never been a problem for their productivity, compared to 27% of national respondents.
Around 60% of Londoners said their productivity is negatively affected by personal problems at least some of the time, with 4% admitting it is a constant problem.
Almost two thirds (65%) of Londoners pointed to a higher salary as a solution to improving their productivity at work.
Employees in London were more likely than the rest of the country to have said there would be a positive effect on productivity if they were offered flexible working hours, with almost half (47%) agreeing with this compared to a 36% UK average.
Working from home also ranked highly in the list of aids to Londoners’ productivity, at 33% compared to 28% nationally.
One in seven (14%) London respondents said better benefits provision would make them more productive in the workplace.
Paul Avis (pictured), marketing director at Canada Life Group, said: “London is often perceived as the main hub of business and economic activity in the UK, but the results of the research suggest employees in London are too beaten down by workplace stress to be productive.
“The strain of a long commute, and a considerable desire among London employees to be able to work from home, suggests employers in this region need to be aware of the negative effects of inflexible working. Allowing staff to work from home when appropriate could be a great help in reducing counter-productive stress.
“However, certain issues are not always so easy to fix, and employees should never be too embarrassed to admit that stress or personal problems are having a negative effect on their work.
“Engaging with an employee assistance programme, such as those provided alongside most group protection products, can help to resolve these issues and improve both workplace happiness and productivity.”
