Heavy workloads and pressure from bosses and workmates make overtime the new ‘normal’ time.

Twenty-five per cent of employees who work extra hours do so because it’s an expected part of their workplace culture, reveals new research from AXA PPP healthcare.*

The survey highlights that for many employees regularly working over and above their contracted hours has become the norm, so much so that 36 per cent of respondents say they feel guilty for leaving the office on time. When asked why they rack up the extra hours, 40 per cent said they did so to cope with a too-heavy workload, 20 per cent blamed it on pressure from workmates and managers and 11 per cent said they were worried about losing their job.

Nearly half (47 per cent) of the employees surveyed say that they work four or more extra hours a week and over a quarter (27 per cent) are clocking up seven or more extra hours. Only 43 per cent get paid for working those extra hours, however. And, symptomatic of longer working hours, 1 in 10 employees said they worked through lunch. AXA PPP healthcare’s director of psychological services, Dr Mark Winwood, said: “It’s concerning to see so many people working extra hours due to pressures in their workplace. If a business encourages a culture of long hours where workers feel they need to stay late, they may be doing themselves a disservice. Protracted working hours can dent an employee’s productivity and, in some cases, even lead to burnout. This is an issue employers would be wise to address.”

“Employers have a legal duty of care to safeguard employee health and wellbeing and ideally, as a part of this, they should have a clear and reasonable policy on working hours and overtime – and ensure that it’s adhered to. They should also invest in ensuring that staff know what support services are available to help them if they are struggling to manage the pressures in their lives, whether at work or at home – for example, confidential counselling helplines. If not, they may find themselves on the receiving end of a work-related personal injury claim and/or up before an employment tribunal.

“Overtime is too often worn as a badge of honour and seen by employees as a requirement for success. Senior management has a critical role to play in challenging this widely held view and, by demonstrating strong leadership, can help to foster a workplace culture where employees are treated fairly and greater emphasis is placed on effective performance management rather than on simply being seen to be putting in long hours.” 

*Online survey of 2000 people working for companies across the UK, conducted during March 2014 by market researcher Redshift