Staff working hard during tough economic times

Economic conditions remain tough in the UK and a considerable number of people fear their jobs may be at risk. As a result of this, some have opted to take on extra training to enhance their prospects. For example, certain individuals have chosen to take part in payroll courses and Sage courses.

Furthermore, many people are still working harder than they had to prior to the credit crunch as bosses demand more in order to keep their companies afloat.According to figures produced by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), a record 5.26 million people worked unpaid overtime last year. This was the highest number since records began in 1992. If they had been remunerated for their contributions, they would have received an average of £5,485 each.

The organisation revealed that more than one in five employees regularly put in unpaid hours, which was a 0.7 per cent rise on 2009. It was also found that staff members in London are the most likely to work unpaid overtime.Commenting on the issue, TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “With tough economic conditions making employers reluctant to recruit, existing staff are picking up much of the increasing work load through unpaid hours.

“While most staff are happy to put in some extra free time to help their company through, forcing staff to endlessly put in too many hours could lead to increased stress levels, which can make staff ill and reduce the quality of the work they do.”
He added that bosses should always be on the lookout for the potentially damaging effects of working long hours and take steps to protect their personnel.Such leaders may also benefit from investing in payroll courses, Sage courses and other such training programmes for their workers as they might be able to make staff members more effective in their roles.