Office workers have a new kind of woe to contend with -- 'email stress'.

The finding is based on a study conducted by researchers led by Karen Renaud, a computer scientist from Glasgow University, and psychologist Judith Ramsay, of Paisley University, who found that struggling to cope with a deluge of emails is leaving staff tired, frustrated and unproductive.

More than a third -- 34 per cent -- of the 200 workers questioned by the researchers as part of their study admitted to checking their inbox every 15 minutes.

And though 64 per cent of the workers said they looked at their emails more than once an hour, monitoring software showed that it was more like 40 times an hour.

Further, 34 per cent of the workers also said that they were stressed by the sheer number of emails that come in, and the need for a speedy reply.

Twenty-eight per cent admitted that they were "driven" after checking their mails because of the pressure to respond.

"Our survey indicates the astonishing extent to which email is embedded in our day-to-day lives," the Telegraph quoted the researchers, as stating.

The study also found that among the sexes, women workers tend to feel more under pressure than men when it comes to responding to emails.

"Email is the thing that now causes us the most problems in our working lives," said Renaud.