British workers spending an average of five working weeks a year confiding in their colleagues, a survey by fish4jobs has revealed.

The research shows that we treat our workmates as ‘counsellors on call’, talking to them about topics ranging from the nitty gritty of our personal lives to whether we should take the plunge and change jobs.

The fish4jobs research identifies our hot water cooler subjects include: family hassles (62%), top motors on the market (67%), best mortgage deals (66%), affairs of the heart (48%) and most interestingly, changing or accepting a new job (62%). In fact, nearly a third of British workmates (29%) who have confided in their ‘next-desk neighbours’ have successfully shifted jobs.

It found that one in seven colleagues have gone as far as tying the knot together.

Joe Slavin (pictured), chief executive of fish4, says: “Our workmates are clearly crucial to us and the advice they give, especially with regards to our jobs, can go a long way in terms of experiencing new work opportunities. We all know good friendships are hard to come by so it is encouraging to know that three quarters of us have met life-long friends in the workplace, which naturally has a positive effect on our attitude to work.”