OFF THE RAILS: Commuting is consider the second-highest stress factor for workers Advertisement Advertisement Photograph: Horia Varlan/Flickr

Over 75 per cent of employees are stressed by at least one thing at work, according to the 2011 Work Stress Survey, with 14 per cent of respondents ranking low pay as the biggest stressor.

But second on the list, above unreasonable workload and the fear of being fired, was the stress associated with the commute to and from work, with 11 per cent voting it as the most stressful aspect of their job.

Annoying co-workers were ranked in the middle with 8 per cent, followed by the boss at 5 per cent, poor work-life balance (5%) and lack of opportunity for advancement (4%).

"We've seen numerous surveys that confirm workplace stress has increased during the last several years and this time we wanted to rank from top to bottom some of the root causes," said Wendy Cullen, vice president of employer development at Everest College.

"Most employers are becoming well aware of the need to address rising employee stress and those who don't address it are likely to suffer lower morale and productivity."

The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf Everest College, also found that workplace anxiety levels are high among young adults aged between 18 and 34.