The study revealed that the first time the average worker looks at work emails is 7:45amThe traditional 9 to 5 work hours are now more like “8 till 8” as modern Brits have a “technological umbilical cords” to their jobs, new research has revealed.
A study into the workforce has revealed that the average British worker checks their work emails on phones, laptops and tablets long before the workday begins, and don’t clock off until the evening, with most workers taking a final peek at their inbox just before 8pm.
The average employee also puts in an extra four hours work at the weekend, while a third of those in the study said they deal with work issues on their holidays.
Despite the devotion to their jobs, half of the workers in the study said they enjoyed a ‘nice’ work-life balance.
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The study by Taylors of Harrogate, questioned over 1,000 employees in office jobs, and found that the average employee checked their emails for the first time at 7.45am, and remain in ‘work mode’ until 7.50pm.
More than half of those questioned said that their own work ethic and career aspirations were the reasons for working longer, while a fifth blamed pressure from their boss.
A fifth said that ‘company culture’ dictated the practice of working longer than their contracted hours, while nearly one in ten said they did it ‘to impress the boss’. One in seven also said they remained on call after office hours as they felt their job would be at risk if they didn’t.
The study also looked at the effect work has on employee’s social lives, with one-in-ten said they regularly checked their emails after waking up in the night. 67 per cent also revealed that they often wake up thinking about work and check emails.
A third of those surveyed also said that they had stepped away from the dinner table to take a work call and 14 per cent taking a call during a restaurant meal. A fifth said that they had taken a call in the shower and more than three per cent had dealt with work matters at a funeral, with half saying that they had been called on holiday.
The Brand Manager at Taylors of Harrogate High Voltage Coffee, Chris Payne, described the cause of the work pattern changes as due to tablets and phones, which are ’a technological umbilical cord’ to our jobs.
Chris said: “The findings reveal a fascinating insight into how our working lives are changing beyond all recognition.
“The traditional 9 to 5 is no more and the working day is getting longer and longer for the majority of Brits, meaning many of us are in need of an extra boost to help us make it through the day.
“Yet despite our waking lives revolving around technology it’s encouraging to see over half of people are happy with their work life balance.”
