A Brentford-based drugs company has launched a new scheme to help tackle employee stress amid warnings of soaring levels of mental illness in the workforce.

The dire forecast was issued by charity Shaw Trust amid falling share prices, spiralling fuel costs and job losses, but health giant GlaxoSmithKline is leading the way in helping its workers overcome worries caused by the credit crunch.

Its 3,000 employees at the Great West Road firm are being encouraged to take regular breaks from their desks, to go on 'campus' trails in nearby Boston Manor Park, or use on-site gyms.

Adrian Chojnacki, GSK's vice president in employee health management, said: "Funding these initiatives makes a genuine difference to our workforce, providing tangible lifestyle benefits for all involved in both their working and home environments.

"We are lucky to have Boston Manor Park on our doorstep, so employees can get the glucose flowing around their body. Not everybody likes to use the gym, so brisk walks are a good alternative."

Shaw Trust, a charity which helps people with a disability or disadvantage to find work, have created a website featuring tips for tackling stress and highlighting the early warning signs of employees with mental health conditions, www.tacklementalhealth.org.uk

Managing director Tim Cooper said: "Every day we are hearing new reports on the increasing strain employees are being placed under with increasing pressures to meet targets coupled with fears around redundancy at work and having to juggle the increasing cost of living in the home.

"Any one of these concerns is likely to increase stress levels but combined they will almost certainly result in a stark increase in anxiety, which can in turn act as a trigger for a variety of mental health conditions."