Technology is meant to make our working lives a whole lot easier and, ideally, our working week shorter – British economist John Maynard Keynes predicted we’d all be working 15-hour weeks by 2030, but 15-hour days looks like it could be closer to the mark.
So if you’re one of those workaholics who never goes home on time, it’s high time you clocked off on time and got your work/life balance back in order!
Time to go
A survey carried out by the Working Families charity found that fewer than half of parents left work on time and almost one-in-ten (9%) never do.
Over two-thirds (70%) of those don’t clock off on time said it was a result of the workload placed upon them, while over half said it was a result of the culture in their workplace.
Almost a quarter said their work/life balance was all out of kilter and home life and work life was constantly at odds.
Obviously, those workers with children will have particular problems with working late – child care doesn’t come cheap – but it’s a problem that can affect all workers, particularly here in the UK.
Why work more?
Employees in the UK work some of the longest full-time hours in Europe and, as we discussed in Working from home can damage your health, long working hours and working out of hours can have all sorts of implications for mental and phyical well being, from depression to heart disease.
So why do we do it – particularly when longer working hours do not guarantee greater productivity?
Those on low pay may not have a choice but to work all the hours they can, sometimes involving a number of jobs, just to make ends meet.
For others it could just be a question of culture – no-one wants to be last in and first out, some don’t even want to be first in and first out.
And then there’s the fact that people simply enjoy their job.
Whatever the reason, though, it’s not doing any of us any good – so try to leave work on time each day and treat yourself to some free time.
It’s Friday today, as good a time as any to start!
Have a great weekend!
