Employees working harder than a year ago, survey says

Anna Scott

British staff are working harder than they were twelve months ago, but their careers have benefited as a result, research suggests.

Forty per cent of the 2,000 employees working for businesses of all sizes surveyed by recruiter Randstad are working harder than they were last year, a ten percentage point increase on those reporting heavier workloads in 2012.

Working harder has reaped rewards for 47% of the workers surveyed, however. Nearly one quarter (23%) say they have secured a promotion as a result, 13% believe it has helped them get a pay rise, and 28% think it has improved their skill set. More than one third (34%) say their workload has increased because they’ve been given more responsibility or higher targets.

“Up until recently, firms were reluctant to take on staff because they were concerned the nascent economic recovery could be easily derailed,” said Mark Bull, CEO of Randstad UK and Middle East.

“As a result, existing staff have taken on increasingly large workloads, particularly as the recovery has gained momentum and demand has increased.”

“The downturn has been a ‘progression recession’, spawning a new breed of ‘super-worker’ that grafts extremely hard and has flown up the career ladder as a result. It has left the UK labour market in good shape,” he added.

Over half of UK employees (53%) admitted they have to do the job of more than one person, up from 45% twelve months ago. The average UK employee has to do the job of 1.4 people – the equivalent of a seven day working week.

Social care workers are the most-spread thin employees in the UK. Over half (54%) say they work hard already and cannot work any harder. Employees in the legal and IT and technology professions are the second most stretched (both 49%).

“IT and technology is one of the most dynamic and rapidly expanding sectors in the UK,” Bull added. “It is a high-growth area which is vital to the long-term health of the UK economy. Demand has increased in the sector, and employees now have to work harder than ever while their employers hire new staff to cope with the increase in new business.”