The IT sector is regularly working above its contracted hours, according to new data released by the Chartered Management Institute in a report called the Quality of Working Life.
The report has been published to support the TUC’s ‘Work your Proper Hours’ campaign; a fight for employees to join against unpaid overtime.
The research shows 83 per cent of managers in IT regularly work above their contracted hours, although this has fallen from 91 per cent in 2000.
The average overtime they work is one hour and 18 minutes a day, which is equivalent to around 40 days a year.
Most of the sector said the long hours affect their productivity, exercise time and skill development. The research also showed the majority of managers only take three and a half days absent a year, indicating most of the sector is reluctant to take time off when ill.
However in comparison to the other 12 sectors surveyed, the IT sector fared quite well. The sector came in 11th place in the category for the percentage of managers who work above the set contracted hours.
Yet only 28 per cent of the 170 IT managers who took part in the research said they were working the excessive hours by choice, a figure that is slow in comparison to the other sectors.
“The figures indicate there is compulsion to work longer hours particularly in the IT sector and this lack of autonomy the managers have explains why they face less motivation and morale than most of the other sectors,” said Petra Wilton, head of public affairs at the Chartered Management Institute.
The sector also came third highest in the limited amount of time managers feel they have to exercise category. While 66 per cent of IT managers believe work stops them exercising; only 58 per cent of insurance managers think so. Insurance managers work the highest amount of overtime as a sector, according to the research.
The TUC Work Your Proper Hours Day is scheduled for Friday 22nd February.
The dedicated web site advises workers to live by their contracts for the day:
“If you normally just cram a sandwich at your desk, and only leave work long
after the sun’s gone down, take just one day to make a stand and see what a
difference it can make. Plan to take a proper lunch break- why not treat
yourself to a nice lunch?”
