The long hours culture of British workers shows no signs of letting up, with one in four employees putting in a 50 hour week, according to a new report yesterday.
Some office staff were working more than 70 hours a week, while more than a third were also taking work home in the evening and at weekends.
A survey of 2,600 employees in the UK, the US, Australia, Germany and France, showed staff in this country were working the longest hours in Europe. One in five Britons worked between 50 and 59 hours a week, compared with 15 per cent in Germany and France.
Almost a third of the British workers questioned by office supply firm Esselte said they believed time was wasted in their offices.
Eight per cent of British workers said their boss was paid too much for doing too little, and two thirds say they work harder than their superiors - the highest number in the world. Mike Patterson, of Esselte UK, said: "By taking work home we risk upsetting a healthy work-life balance."
