16- to 24-year-olds clock up the most overtime, research reveals

Nick Elvin

Younger office workers in the UK are far more likely to work longer hours than their elders, according a survey commissioned by OfficeGenie.co.uk.

The research showed those aged 16 to 24 put in an average of seven hours and 22 minutes overtime every week, two hours more than office staff aged 55+.

Employees in their thirties and forties work around five and half hours extra per week with the over 55s working the least overtime at four hours and 55 minutes. The average overtime in the UK is five and a half hours per week.

More than 1,000 office workers in major UK cities were surveyed about how many hours they worked over their weekly contracted hours. The results also revealed that almost 11% of 16- to 24-year-old office workers do more than 20 hours’ overtime per week – approximately twice as many as any other age groups.

Meanwhile, Brighton seems to have the hardest working office staff in the UK with employees there claiming they put in on average eight hours and 43 minutes in overtime every week.

London only just made it into the top ten cities (five hours, 16 minutes) with office workers in Cardiff (seven hours, 10 minutes), Manchester (six hours, 37 minutes), Newcastle (six hours, 18 minutes) and Birmingham (six hours, one minute) all working longer hours.

Ciaron Dunne, CEO of Office Genie, said: “Younger people get a bad press with many misconceptions about them being workshy with a sense of entitlement. This survey shows quite the opposite – that teens and those in their early-to-mid twenties have plenty of get up and go and determination to put in the hours.

“With one in ten office staff aged under 24 working more than 20 hours shows true grit and a willingness to get ahead. But what is also striking is the survey results revealed London office workers were behind cities in the regions and other nations.”