Unpaid Overtime And Excessive Workloads
Whilst the level of economic inactivity has reached a record high, at the same time the amount of unpaid overtime being carried out has reached the point, according to new research from Protime UK, where 54% of workers now conduct the equivalent of 0.5 days - 4 days of unpaid overtime per month. Collectively, this equates to 19 million days of unpaid overtime per month.
Other findings from the new research were that in relation to the 54% who worked these levels of unpaid overtime:-
- 53% suffered from increased stress as a result
- 41% suffered burnout due to excessive workloads
- 25% were unable to take holidays on account of having too much work
In relation to excessive workloads, the research found that in terms of workers:-
- 28% cannot complete their designated workload within their contractual working hours
- 38% believe that it makes them less productive
- 28% believe that it has adversely impacted upon their relationship with their manager
- 29% believe that it has had a detrimental impact upon the quality of their work
- 27% believe that their manager should do more to better manage workloads, with 20% taking the view that managers are allocating workloads that are quite simply unrealistic
- 22% want to quit their job within 6 months as a result of it, with 10% stating that they would quit but for the fact that they are too busy to look for alternative employment due to their excessive workload
- 49% would refuse to take on additional work
- 42% would refuse to take on / seek a managerial position
- 33% believed that they were more susceptible to working unpaid overtime whilst working outside of the office environment in a hybrid role
Commenting upon the findings of the research upon unpaid overtime, the Country Manager for Protime UK, Simon Garrity, stated: "The UK’s widespread culture of overwork is a ticking time bomb that business and HR leaders can’t afford to ignore. Excessive workloads and unrealistic expectations are burning employees out, killing motivation and productivity, and driving away top talent from organisations."
Garrity added: "HR must address overwork as a top strategic priority; the long-term health and competitiveness of their organisations depends on it. A preventative approach is more effective than trying to mitigate the impact of employee burnout on wellbeing and engagement."
Presenteeism: New Research
Despite the increase in economic inactivity to record levels, presenteeism remains an enormous problem within the UK workforce.
According to new research from the National Accident Helpline:-
- 37% of workers have had to continue working, despite being in pain, on account of being unable to afford to take any time off work, with 25% having to take painkillers to work to manage their pain
- 56% of workers assert that they have never been guilty of taking a "sickie"
- Rather than take sick leave, 28% of workers state that they have worked from home instead
- 26% of workers have suffered from computer vision syndrome at some point
- A third of workers sit down for more than 5 hours a days whilst working in the office. This falls to a fifth when working from home
- Whilst the majority of workers take 45 minutes or less for lunch during the working day, a fifth take no lunch at all
- Over a third of workers exercise for less than 1 hour a week, with 5% exercising at a rate of less than once a week
Commenting upon the findings, the Legal Operations Director at National Accident Helpline, John Kushnick, stated: "This research paints a bleak picture of the health of workers in the UK. Nobody should have to choose when it comes to their health, but the reality is accidents and illnesses do happen. The UK’s current statutory sick pay is clearly forcing people into working, which can often lead to worse long-term outcomes. Rather than deterring people, raising the level of statutory sick pay can help more people get back on their feet and back into work more quickly."
