HiBob, the company behind HR platform Bob, has found the average British employee is working 215 hours of overtime per year. More than two in five (42 per cent) workers do not receive any additional compensation for overtime worked, meaning these individuals work a yearly average of £4,022 for free.

The research from HiBob analyses people’s understanding of how promotions are achieved, revealing a worrying culture of overtime linked to the desire for promotions and pay rises. Over half (55 per cent) of British workers think employees should be expected to make some personal sacrifices of time or convenience to earn raises or promotions, and six in ten (58 per cent) are willing to do this themselves.

Four in ten (42 per cent) working Brits say they are motivated to stay in their current job for the foreseeable future because of the current state of the economy, and therefore they turn to their existing employers for promotions and pay rises.

50 per cent expect a pay rise in their next performance review, and almost a third (31 per cent) expect a promotion. These expectations may be misaligned as only 40 per cent of people  received   a raise in their previous review   and just a quarter received a promotion  in their last review.

The Right to Disconnect

Despite willingness to work overtime to get pay rises and promotions, 72 per cent of workers strongly approve of Labour’s proposed Right to Disconnect Law, also known as the right to switch off.

“The overwhelming support for the proposed Right to Disconnect clearly indicates a nation that wants to put a stop to working hundreds of unpaid overtime hours each year but can’t see a non-legislated way out of overtime in the hope of progression,” notes Ronni Zehavi, CEO and Co-Founder at HiBob.  “It is nothing short of ironic that people are working unpaid overtime to try and earn more money, and employers need to wake up and show a duty of care to their people. Without this, they will lose their most talented people to competitors with better work-life balance, assuming they don’t burn out before then.”

The research shows workers are also willing to learn a new skill (67 per cent), take on new responsibilities (65 per cent) and supervise more people (45 per cent) in order to progress within their company. A quarter (26 per cent) of people would change location workstyle (i.e., change their remote/hybrid/office set up); and over one in ten UK workers (13 per cent) would cancel or change vacation or time off plans  in order to progress within their company.

While the economy today keeps 42 per cent of Brits in the same role, there is a significant risk for businesses that do not invest in their people when the economy improves, as over a third (38 per cent) say they would be likely to look for a new job when the economy is better.

Training and a clear path for development are tried and tested ways to keep employees happy in their roles, yet 20 per cent of employees say their company does not offer any form of training or development progress, and 20 per cent cannot see a clear path for career progression.

Ronni continues, “The current economic climate has seen many employees stay where they are, however, the battle for talent is very much still on. Companies that do not prioritise employee wellbeing and development can expect to say goodbye to their most talented staff when the economy picks up. Promoting the right to disconnect is a powerful tool for improving employee engagement and retention. It sends a strong message that the company values its people’s wellbeing and is committed to creating a sustainable work environment.”

Stay up to date

Keep me up to date to receive all the latest news and updates.