One in four people now claim to work more than 48 hours a week – up from one
in 10 in 1998.
A survey commissioned by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and
Development (CIPD) shows the average working week has stretched from 38.9 hours
to 39.6. One person in 11 claims to work more than 60 hours a week.
However, it also reveals that three in four of those working extended hours
do so either largely or entirely of their own choice. Just 4 per cent said they
are pressured into working long hours by their employer or their colleagues.
The CIPD found that the longest hours are worked by plant and machine
operatives (an average of 46.1 per week), while the shortest are worked by
those in sales (34.3 hours) and clerical/secretarial jobs (32.8 hours).
Despite the lengthening of the working week, one in four said they had
reduced their working hours in the past five years, but only 15 per cent of
those working more than 48 hours said they had made any cutbacks. www.cipd.org.uk
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