Working Longer, Not Always Smarter

By Barbara Holmes

Employees are spending more hours at work, many because they know their presence - and not their results - will be rewarded, especially in the banking industry.

The 2004 Work/Life Survey (CCH) found nearly 30% of organisations reported an increase in the average hours per week worked by their employees.

43% of respondents in the banking industry reported the pervasiveness of "presenteeism". 40% of organisations had reduced staff but had not reassessed workload priorities.

The survey sought to rank organisations on the extent of their work/life initiatives, then examined the performance of organisations in the top 25% against the while sample. Other findings included increases in staff turnover in all organisations, but this was much lower in the top ranked group and an increase in stress related absences.

(CCH Work Alert. issue 4, 13 May 2004)