But the dawn of wearable technology has led to the creation of devices capable of building up workers’ personalised biological profiles, allowing them to analyse when they are at their peak and when they are having an off-day. It is being called “human optimisation”.

The innovation, which is already used by elite sports teams around the world to ensure that their athletes are in top condition ahead of big matches or races, is attracting the interest of hedge funds, banks, consultancies and call centres across the UK.

Dr John Coates, a fellow in neuroscience and finance at the University of Cambridge who specialises in the biology of risk taking and stress, said he is now getting “about one call a week” from financial institutions, healthcare companies and tech firms interested in applying his research in the workplace.