‘Nearly 60% of parents working overtime’

Nearly 60% of working parents, particularly dads, are working overtime regularly with the main reason being their employer’s work culture, according to a survey by Working Families.

The survey, timed to promote Go Home on Time Day next Wednesday [23rd], shows the reason for overtime is work pressure, jobs growing too large to be done within ‘normal’ hours and workplace cultures that still value an employee’s presence at work above their health, and long hours. It finds dads are more likely to work longer hours than mothers, with men in the 36-45 age bracket least likely to leave work on time.

The research indicates that just under half (of employees say their main reason for staying late at work is the employer’s work culture, and 43% say their employer expects it. Some 58% say that staying late is the only way to deal with their workload and 47% say that they can only get their job done properly if they stay late. Some 40% of parents say they are worried about caring for their ageing parents as well as their children.

For Go Home on Time Day Working Families is calling on employers, families and individuals to tackle what it says is one of the major issues that causes conflict between work and family life. It is asking employers and employees to use the Day to have a conversation about how work can work best for all.

Sarah Jackson, CEO of Working Families, says: “Going Home on Time should be the norm, not a novelty, but for many families that’s just not happening. We’re inviting people everywhere to Go Home on Time this Wednesday for a mid-week breather, see how good it feels and start making it a year-round habit. To managers, put the date in the diary, and encourage everyone to join in and discourage late meetings or travel on the day. To employees, decide what you’ll do when you leave work on time, whether it’s spending time with your family, playing sport or simply lolling on the sofa and recharging your batteries.”

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• Work life balance