Culture of long hours puts staff at risk of burnout as a third regularly work seven or more extra hours a week.

A long-working-hours culture at small and medium-sized firms could put staff at increased risk of ill health and ‘burnout’. 

Research by insurer AXA PPP found that nearly half of those surveyed regularly worked four or more hours’ overtime a week, with nearly a third putting in seven or more extra hours. For more than half of those who worked overtime, the extra hours were unpaid. 

A fifth of respondents took less than 30 minutes for lunch and 12 per cent did not have a lunch break at all.

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The research also found that more than a quarter of employees at SMEs had cancelled time with friends and family in the past three months, as a result of working overtime. 

Nearly a fifth had missed a child’s event, such as a parents’ evening or school play, in the past three months and, for those with younger children, more than half had continued to work after putting them to bed.

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Nearly three-quarters of respondents who had been diagnosed with a mental health condition, such as stress, anxiety or depression, said they would not feel comfortable speaking to people at work about it, while 42 per cent of sufferers said their employer had failed to give them adequate support to deal with their condition. 

SME director Glen Parkinson, of AXA PPP, says: ‘Our study shows that owners and bosses may be putting themselves and their employees at increased risk of burnout and ill health through protracted overwork. 

‘A focus on wellbeing can help smaller and medium- sized firms to thrive. Owners should prioritise their own health and that of their employees as much as they prioritise their pursuit of commercial success.’