Nearly a quarter of white-collar workers have admitted to playing casual games at work, mostly to 'relax' and 'alleviate stress', according to a new survey by PopCap Games.

The survey also suggests that gameplay increases as employees move up the corporate ladder, as 35 per cent of chief executives and other senior staff admit to playing casual games while at work.

Six out of 10 respondents said that they played during lunch or other official break periods, and 53 per cent said that they play at work at least once a day.

One in seven workers even admitted that they had played casual games during a business meeting or conference call.

"It is not surprising that today's white-collar workers are casual video game users," said Carly Drum, managing director at executive recruitment firm Drum Associates.

"The face of today's executive workforce is definitely changing, as younger employees are much more tech-savvy and familiar with all forms of new media from social networking to blogging and beyond.

"So it is natural that some white-collar workers will look to casual videogames that they can play on their PC, mobile phone or BlackBerry during a work break as a way to relax and recharge their batteries, so to speak."

Nearly 80 per cent of those respondents who occupy supervisory roles said that they encourage staff to take brief mental breaks during the workday, including playing casual games for brief periods.

The vast majority (84 per cent) said that playing casual games while at work helped them feel 'more relaxed' and 'less stressed out', and that gaming helped to 'strengthen memory' and provide 'good mental workouts'.