Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Health and safetyOccupational HealthLatest NewsWellbeing

British workers not as active as they should be, suggests study

by Personnel Today 31 Jan 2012
by Personnel Today 31 Jan 2012

In a typical week, workers spend on average five hours and 41 minutes a day sitting at their desks and seven hours sleeping each night, according to the latest research on sedentary working lifestyles.

The research, led by Dr Myanna Duncan from the Work & Health Research Centre at Loughborough University, was presented to the annual conference of the occupational psychology division of the British Psychological Society in January.

The study found that nearly 70% of employees did not meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity, with half of people aged 50 or under failing to meet these recommendations.

Those who sat for longer at work were also more likely to sit outside working hours, with a correlation between body-mass-index scores and time spent sitting at work.

Moreover, more time spent sitting at work was associated with a decrease in mental wellbeing.

These findings were a subset of a larger study looking at employees’ experiences of occupational health provision over an 18-month period during 2009-11, with more than 1,000 employees measuring use and experiences of occupational health services and their physical activity levels.

In the UK, and likewise elsewhere in Europe, there are now twice as many workers aged 50 or over as there are workers aged 25 or younger, it added.

“People don’t need a psychologist to tell them to get up and walk around. But if it helps, I’d tell them to put a post-it note on their computer to remind them. Anyway, go and talk to your colleagues face to face, it’s a lot more sociable and better for you than emailing them,” said Duncan.

Separate research presented at the same conference argued that shift work, long hours and being unable to switch off when away from work are some of the key stressors that lead police officers to experience anxiety and depression.

The study, by Dr Almuth McDowell and Dr Mark Cropley from the University of Surrey and Professor Gail Kinman from the University of Bedfordshire, comprised a large-scale survey of police officers and staff from a major UK police force, and surveyed more than 1,200 people.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Contrary to public belief, men were just as likely as women to experience work-family conflict.

Support from managers, co-workers and senior management was found to buffer the officers’ experience of work-family conflict on wellbeing. Other support, from outside the police force, was not found to offer as much protection.

Personnel Today

previous post
Small businesses get access to occupational health support
next post
Cancer patients unaware that exercise can aid recovery

You may also like

Airbus strikes postponed after new pay offer

1 Sep 2025

Free childcare expansion beset with recruitment challenges

1 Sep 2025

Business confidence grows to post-Budget peak

1 Sep 2025

Dental nurse pushed out by rude behaviour awarded...

1 Sep 2025

Warship deal with Norway secures 4,000 jobs

1 Sep 2025

Decision to sack man for Michael Jackson noises...

29 Aug 2025

P&O Ferries boss who steered 800 sackings steps...

29 Aug 2025

UK large companies’ succession planning is weak –...

29 Aug 2025

Gender bonus bias widens pay gap, says Brightmine

29 Aug 2025

Bankers learn of redundancy in email gaffe asking...

29 Aug 2025

  • Work smart – stay well: Avoid unnecessary pain with centred ergonomics SPONSORED | If you often notice...Read more
  • Elevate your L&D strategy at the World of Learning 2025 SPONSORED | This October...Read more
  • How to employ a global workforce from the UK (webinar) WEBINAR | With an unpredictable...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise