78
The UK workforce is combating an epidemic of extra time and unpaid extra time, impacting on the wellbeing of staff and the prosperity of companies. A recent study by Protime UK clearly shows the seriousness of this problem and its impact on worker happiness and company performance.
Scope of the issue
Findings from a survey of two,000 UK staff show that overwork is ingrained within the country:
- Unpaid extra time: 54% of UK staff work between two and 4 days a month without pay. This translates into an astonishing 19 million days of unpaid work across the country.
- Job dissatisfaction: 5% of employees intend to go away their current position in the following six months to avoid working too hard. On account of the overwhelming workload, 42% of employees are resigning from management responsibilities and 49% say they are going to not tackle any additional work.
Key conclusions
The study highlights several key issues contributing to the overwork epidemic:
- Challenges of hybrid work: 33% of employees working in and out of doors the office usually tend to work additional, unpaid hours.
- Unrealistic loads: 28% of employees report that they can not complete their tasks during an ordinary working day, resulting in extra hours.
- Managerial mistakes: 27% of employees imagine managers should do more to distribute work evenly. Moreover, 20% imagine that the tasks assigned to them are unrealistic in relation to the time available.
Impact on performance and engagement
Overwork not only affects worker health, but additionally hinders business results:
- Reduced productivity: 38% of employees say they’re less productive as a result of overwork. Moreover, 29% imagine that the standard of their work suffers.
- Strained relationships: 28% of employees say that overwork negatively affects their relationship with their supervisor.
- Health concerns: 53% of employees experience increased stress and anxiety, 41% experience burnout, and 25% miss holidays as a result of excessive workload.
Expert insights
Simon Garrity, national director of Protime UK, highlights the urgent need for businesses to handle this issue. states,
“The UK’s widespread culture of overwork is a ticking time bomb that business and HR leaders cannot afford to disregard. Excessive workload and unrealistic expectations burn out employees, kill motivation and productivity, and drive top talent out of the organization.”
Garrity adds,
“It is vital that employers understand that unpaid work and missed holidays are usually not an indication of sacrifice, but an indication of a system that should do higher. By making a culture that values worker time, prioritizes workload management and encourages a healthy work-life balance, corporations can reap the advantages of happier, more productive employees.”
Application
The overwhelming weight of the research shows that the UK’s extra time epidemic is negatively impacting each staff and businesses. To handle this issue, managers and HR directors must take the lead in establishing a good distribution of tasks, acceptable expectations, and support for work-life balance. In this manner, corporations can increase worker motivation, retention and performance.