The economic downturn is making people work harder and longer, according to a survey conducted by international recruitment consultancy Robert Walters.
In an online web poll, professional candidates from 17 different countries were asked whether they were working harder as a result of the downturn. Of 2,600 respondents, more than half (55 percent) said they were working more hours per week: 45 percent of respondents said they were putting in at least 3 hours extra per week and one fifth (21 percent) of all respondents said they were staying in the office between 8 and 10 hours more per week.
In Australia, 53 percent of those polled stated they were putting in extra hours. Of those working overtime 19 percent claim to work up to two hours extra hours per week, 26 percent state they work between three and five hours extra a week, 15 percent commit to between six and eight hours’ overtime and a staggering 40 percent work eight to ten hours extra per week.
James Nicholson, Managing Director of at Robert Walters, Australia believes the fear of redundancy is having an effect on employees and as a result they are putting in longer hours.
“The fear of redundancy obviously has an effect; many people feel that by putting in more hours, they will be less likely to lose their jobs. In addition, where job cuts have already taken place, those left are inevitably required to take on more work.”
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