Businesses around the world could benefit from initiating wellbeing schemes for staff members, it has been suggested.

Executive director of policy with the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health Dr Luise Vassie explained that achieving a positive work-life balance is an ever-growing problem, with too many people allowing jobs to assume control of their lives.

"Wellbeing programmes are a great way for businesses to make sure their employees achieve a better work-life balance - helping to make their staff more resilient and productive," he observed.

Dr Vassie's comments come as the body - which claims to be the biggest professional sector organisation in the world - revealed that relationships appear to be suffering because of a negative work-life balance, with 60 per cent of people believing this to be either poor, very poor or an issue that could be improved upon.

Almost one in three people have seen their relationships suffer because of career-related pressure and of the 29 per cent who admitted this to be the case, the two biggest concerns were high workloads and long hours.

However, just 16 per cent of those asked said their employers had such initiatives in place.

Posted by Sarah Dixon