A travel insurance company is offering discounts to IT consultants after they were found to have the most stressful jobs in the country, above even air traffic controllers and fire fighters.

More than 70 per cent of senior IT consultants suffer from severe stress as a result of the constant threat of system breakdowns and virus attacks resulting in delays or downtime, according to a study commissioned by travel insurance company Journeywise.

In response to the findings Journeywise is offering a 10 per cent discount on travel insurance to the most stressed professionals - IT consultants, air traffic controllers fire fighters and the police - for their next stress busting holiday.

Michael Ramsay, the company's marketing manager, said: "We think they deserve a break!"

The UK is renowned for its culture of long office hours, often cited as a major cause of workplace stress, and the IT industry is certainly no exception.

A study conducted last year by the International Stress Management Association (ISMA) UK found that excess stress had forced one in four to take time off work.

Three-quarters of respondents cited too much work as the main cause of stress. Other catalysts include deadline pressures, an unsupportive work environment and problems with maintaining an acceptable work/life balance.

The problem costs UK Plc £7bn a year in absences and lost productivity, according to figures from the Confederation of British Industry.

Professor Cary Cooper, president of ISMA, and deputy vice chancellor of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, said: "Employers are always saying that people are their most valuable resource, and it's time that they stopped talking and did something about it."