New data has revealed that employees at more than half (53%) of UK organisations are working additional unpaid hours every day.
In its latest whitepaper, Cendex, which is part of XpertHR, found that a quarter (24%) of employers attributed this to the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic and the subsequent increase in remote working.
Almost a third (30%) of survey respondents said that this has influenced what time they are clocking on and off, as some are starting their working day early and finishing late. As a result, more than two-thirds (67%) of employers believe that the traditional 9am-5pm working day has now become a thing of the past.
Furthermore, one in three (30%) UK organisations stated that staff are working an additional one to two hours a day, and more than a fifth (21%) said they work between three and five hours extra, which the research noted could result in burnout and negatively impact workers’ wellbeing. Only a third (33%) said employees were not working any unpaid hours.
Scott Walker, managing director at Cendex,said that remote working has grown in popularity over the past year and while it is a perfect fit for some, the data has highlighted a "major" pitfall of the initiative.
He explained that the line between work life and home life is now blurred, which has resulted in a spike in working unscheduled hours that will impact not only individuals’ wellbeing, but their performance and productivity at work too.
“For many, a more flexible approach to work is a welcome change as it gives working parents the chance to fit their work schedule around childcare and adjusted starting and finishing times could enable commuters to avoid peak travel times. If the demand is there, HR and reward professionals must address it and be reactive in their building of benefit packages,” Walker added.
