Are you suffering from work overload?

Last Updated on January 30, 2017 by Christian Ralph

Do you ever find your workload so huge that you must delve into your free time to complete it all?

Well you’re not alone, as it turns out that almost three quarters of us Brits are so overwhelmed by their work capacity, that they put in an additional 180 hours of work free of charge.

To break down this figure, our new survey examined how much additional time Brits give to their employers by working at home, working through their lunch and how much time they spend in the office once their allotted working hours are complete.

We discovered that Brits spend 36 hours over the course of the year, checking emails, making phone calls and completing other work related tasks outside of the office.

51 of the 180 hours that Brits work for free goes into staying late in the office. Not only did we find that almost two thirds of the country’s workers stay late at least once a week, but an unfortunate 6% NEVER get to leave on time.

However, we discovered that lunchtimes were when Brits gave up the most of their time, with workers losing 93 hours of their leisurely time each year working through their lunch break.

Just over half of workers (53%) admitted to never escaping the office all day, whilst the average Brits continues to work through their lunch hour twice a week.

Shockingly, 16% of UK workers don’t take screen breaks all day, despite them being highly recommended by health professionals. Working all day in front of a computer screen can lead to illnesses such as Dry Eye Syndrome.

For some Brits, work never stops and this is emphasised by one in three employees admitting to taking work calls when they’re on holiday!

In addition to this, one in five would leave a family dinner early to take a call and one in eight would respond to a call when they’re sat in the bath.

Brits dedication to work has taken its toll on some, with a fifth of workers admitting to taking time off with a stress related illness.

It’s also influenced their personal relationships too with 1 in 5 stating that their relationship is in trouble due to work commitments. 1 in 10 people even admitted to answering work calls during sex!

Our advice to all you overworked Brits out there would be to take time out of work to enjoy precious time with your family and friends.

By making a routine of constantly staying late in work, it can not only affect relationships with your family and friends, but it can have a huge impact on your fatigue and mental health also.

By overloading your working day, that tiredness you gain from this can lead to sloppiness and a lower standard of work. Going home at a reasonable time will not only benefit you from a personal aspect, but it’ll enhance your productivity too.