Workers putting in longer hours than 5 years ago

Two-thirds working 'great deal' more: Survey

Employees are putting in longer hours than five years ago, according to a poll by Right Management.

Nearly four out of five workers said their organization’s employees spend more time on the job since the recession began in 2008, found the survey of 325 employees in Canada and the United States.

As many as 67 per cent said employees are spending “a great deal” more hours at work while 10 per cent said they are “somewhat”  working longer while 23 per cent said “not really.”

“Leaders need to have courageous conversations with their employees to ensure better alignment between the work their people are doing and the company’s overall strategic objectives,” said Matt Norquist, general manager of Right Management’s northeast region. “Leaders need to connect the intensity of workloads with dialogue that aligns the work with individual employees’ ambitions, and the organizations’ broader strategic objectives”.

There are growing pressures on workers today, according to recent Right Management surveys — they rarely leave their desk for lunch, they respond to emails from the boss at all hours, they are not taking all their vacation time and when others are laid off, their work must be shared by remaining employees.

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