When lockdowns were first introduced and people started to work remotely, many were surprised at the level of productivity achieved. As time passes, however, it appears remote working is taking an increasingly negative toll: employees are less productive, more stressed and employers are doing little to help.
This is according to a new report from Wright Hassall, which found that the average employee is working a full extra day in overtime each week. The report states that an additional nine hours have been added to the workweek since the start of the pandemic, on average, mostly because people feel insecure about their jobs.
More than half were not paid for extra work and overtime is causing both stress and anxiety. A third said they felt more anxious, while almost a quarter (22 percent) said they had trouble sleeping. Almost one in five (17 percent) have lower job satisfaction as a result of longer working days.
According to half of respondents, employers offer no mental health support and, of those that have access to support, a quarter said it was inadequate and a fifth didn’t know how to access it.
“It can be emotionally and physically draining to work extra hours for no additional pay, and even more concerning if you’re not receiving the right level of support from your employer when overtime starts to affect your mental health,” said Tina Chander, Head of Employment Law at Wright Hassall. “It’s important to raise any concerns with HR or your supervisor, to ensure you don’t suffer in silence.”
