Around one in four employees are worried about serious debt, according to Talkaboutdebt.co.uk.
Its research reveals that more than a quarter of people in serious debt believe it has affected the quality of their work, with some finding managing their finances so stressful that they are unable to work.
More than one in ten admitted that they took sick days to have time off from work and deal with their money issues, likely in the knowledge that how they manage their finances will affect their credit score.
Jessica Bown, independent financial journalist for the website, said: "This research shows that for those in serious debt, the impact is incredibly far-reaching. It's clear that when stress levels get so high as to cause lack of sleep and time off work, then something needs to be done."
Figures from Credit Action reveal that total UK personal debt at the end of August 2009 stood at £1,457 billion, while the annual growth rate of consumer credit continued to fall, to 0.7 per cent.
