Research by insurance company Aviva have discovered that workers in the UK contribute some 26 million hours in extra work each day.
The report found out that six out of ten people work outside of their contracted hours, averaging 1.5 hours in overtime each day. A further 23 per cent admitted to working up to three hours extra.
Dr Douglas Wright, head of clinical development for Aviva, said: “Working excessively can have a huge impact on people’s mental and physical wellbeing, so anyone who feels they might have a problem, should speak to their manager to address the matter before it becomes a bigger issue.
The news has sparked some union leaders into saying that much of the hours worked are due to employees fearing job losses and employers have played on this to obtain unpaid work.