The harsh economic climate is forcing many more employees to work excessive hours, research for the Trades Union Congress has revealed. It found the number of people working over 48 hours a week increased by 180,000 in the first quarter of 2008. "This is due to the challenging economic climate, which has made employers more reluctant to recruit new staff and instead work existing employees harder," the TUC said. Union leaders had thought they were winning a battle to change Britain's long-hours culture. Between 2000 and 2006 the number of people working more than 48 hours fell from 3.8 million to 3.1 million. But the total crept up in the second half of last year and jumped sharply to 3.3 million in the first quarter of 2008.The TUC said the biggest increases were in the east of England and London, where more than 15% of employees average over 48 hours a week. Staff in the motor trade, retail, finance, public administration, and construction were the most likely to work excessive hours.
The Guardian