Overstretched Staff claim they Cannot Work any Harder

Posted on 5 October, 2013 by Kirsten Kennedy

This week we’ve heard a great deal from the Prime Minister about “hardworking people,” but it appears over 50 per cent of workers believe they simply cannot work any harder for their boss.

David Cameron has spoken a great deal about hardworking people

In a study conducted by recruitment agency Randstad, 53 per cent of the 2000 respondents questioned claimed their current job requires them to do the work of 1.4 people, up from 45 per cent only one year ago. This is the equivalent of working a full seven day week and often means many sacrifice social occasions or family routine in a bid to remain on top of their workload.

Furthermore, 22 per cent believe that they are doing the work of two or more people, clearly demonstrating the need for many businesses to consider taking on additional staff in order to ease the burden on existing employees.

Chief executive of Randstad UK and Middle East, Mark Bull, believes that a major reason for the increase in pressure is the economic recovery.

He says; “There is little doubt UK employees are working harder than ever; spread-thin Britain is being stretched even thinner.

“Up until recently, firms were reluctant to take on staff because they were concerned the nascent economic recovery could be easily derailed.

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

Social care tops the table for demanding roles, with 53.9 per cent of workers in the sector believing that they could not feasibly take on any more work than they currently have. Legal and technological workers follow closely behind, with 49.4 per cent and 49.3 per cent respectively.

Surprisingly, construction workers seemed more than happy to take on additional tasks, with only 39.4 per cent calling themselves overstretched. This is despite a flood of both commercial property and housing projects appearing in the pipeline over the past few months, triggered by the economic recovery.

Do you feel you are overstretched in your workplace or, like construction workers, are you happy to take on extra tasks?




Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


Recent Posts

Interest Rates Impact on Commercial Property

Commercial Property Investment Outlook for 2023

The best places to stay on the Riviera

The latest property data has identified Newquay as the fastest property seller’s market in the UK

Investing in your garden can increase your property’s value

French Riviera temping high-end homebuyers

How can the ownership rights of my commercial property impact a business sale?

Should I incorporate virtual property viewings permanently?

Investment expected to increase across Asia-Pacific in 2021

UK property industry slows as the conclusion of tax break looms

BNP Paribas cautioned investors on Friday as debt-trading bonanza that increased its earnings this past year

Over 300,000 property purchases fell through in 2020 – we show the most frequent motives and the best way to get your house sale back on track

House Prices in the Capital Surpass £500,000

Optimism from the Bank of England’s chief economist

The most expensive commercial properties.

Businesses operating from shared premises will miss out on grants