The results from Ecclesiastical Insurance’s latest broker wellbeing research show that during the past 12 months two-thirds (67%) of brokers experienced work-related stress with 44% reporting anxiety. The carrier said this was down on last year’s findings but warns there is still significant pressure on brokers.

The research details the difference in support offered by various brokers and highlights the fact that 89% of national brokers offer access to a confidential helpline compared with just 33% of provincial brokers.

In addition, 79% of national brokers offer counselling support, while the figure drops to 52% for regional brokers and 34% for provincial brokers.

Brokers say workload is their biggest cause of stress (69%), while regulation and compliance (57%) and customer demands (53%) completed the top-three list of issues.

Dave Carey, managing director intermediary at Ecclesiastical Insurance, said: “It's encouraging to see signs that brokers are reporting lower levels of stress than in recent years. But as our industry continues to evolve through technological change, rising customer expectations and increasing complexity, supporting wellbeing remains more important than ever. The opportunity isn't simply to help people cope with pressure, it's to create environments where they can thrive, develop and build long-term careers.”

This is now the seventh year Ecclesiastical Insurance has commissioned the research, which canvasses opinions from 200 national, regional and provincial brokers and is conducted by FWD Research. The insurer also worked with Dr Simon Moore, chartered psychologist and behavioural scientist, to interpret the findings.