Study reveals over half of employees say work is more intense and demanding

The TUC study findings

The TUC study also found that 36% of workers spent more time reading, sending, and answering emails in 2022 than in the previous year, while 32% spent more time outside of their contracted hours performing core work activities.

During the month of May, bank holidays caused an increased workload for 67% of employees.

In addition, skills shortages have led to increased overworking. In response, a teachers’ union is calling for a maximum 35-hour work week.

The study also revealed that 40% of workers are required to complete more work in the same amount of time, while 38% are feeling more stressed at work.

Is workplace surveillance to blame?

The General Secretary of TUC, Paul Nowak, has suggested that workplace surveillance may be partially responsible for the increase in work-related stress.

According to Nowak, algorithmically set productivity targets can be unrealistic and force workers to work faster through constant monitoring, including surveillance of their actions and productivity.

In addition, he blames the lack of enforcement of working time regulations and the Strikes Bill, which makes it harder for workers to engage in collective bargaining. Nowak believes that it is time to address the issue of ever-increasing work intensity.

He suggests strengthening enforcement so that workers can effectively exercise their rights, introducing a right to disconnect to allow workers to switch off outside of working hours, and ensuring workers and unions are properly consulted on the use of AI and surveillance technology to protect them from punishing ways of working.

Free HR advice for employers

Employers have a responsibility to cultivate a healthy corporate culture by establishing a sustainable pace and intensity of work.

Human resources should ensure that managers are trained to manage workloads effectively, including identifying workplace stressors and methods to prevent and mitigate them.

Although decreasing workloads may not be realistic, employers can support their staff in managing them by exploring creative solutions such as offering training and education on organisation, prioritisation, and delegation.

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