A study of 2,000 employees revealed that a staggering 87% work an average of five and a half hours more every month outside their contracted agreement without any additional pay. This equates to a whopping 153 million cumulative hours of unpaid work each month, or 19 million eight-hour working days. Over a quarter (26%) confessed they end up working more because they haven't completed their daily tasks, while 20% are burdened with 'unrealistic' workloads for their contracted hours.
Consequently, 29% wish their manager would lighten their workload, while 27% desire a more even distribution of work within the team. Simon Garrity, UK country manager for ProTime, who commissioned the research and compiled it into a report titled 'The True cost of Overtime: How overwork impacts employee performance' , expressed his concern: "Using our time effectively is so important, especially in today's fast-paced work environment." "It's concerning to see such a high percentage of adults working unpaid overtime, often due to unrealistic workloads or uncompleted tasks.
Employers should prioritise workload management and ensure that employees' time is valued and respected." The study also found that only 6% of workers admit they aren't very productive during their working day, while a mere 3% confessed they struggle with managing their time effectively. Distraction (56%), lack of focus (48%) and spending too much time on unimportant tasks (46%) were identified as the main culprits of poor time m.
