People who work longer than 40 hours each week could find themselves consulting pharmaceutical labels for stress medication, it has been suggested.

A study carried out by scientists at the Aragon Institute of Health Sciences in Spain discovered that spending longer than eight hours a day, five days per week in the office could cause burnout syndrome.

People who regularly did this were six times more likely to suffer from the associated long-term exhaustion, loss of interest and irritability than their counterparts who spent 35 hours behind their desks.

Researcher Jesus Montero-Marin said the phenomenon "poses a serious problem to society because of the economic losses it causes and its consequences for health".

Burnout could also affect workers who spend a long time in the same job, with those who have notched up 16 years' service five times more likely to become worn out than people who work for four years in the same position.

Recent Money Sickness Syndrome research from Axa found that as many as 42 million workers at all levels are now suffering from stress and anxiety.

Denny Bros Ltd, 28 June 2011