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The shortcomings of working long hours

Employee wellbeing is high on many business agendas, but regular overhours, ill-health and a culture of ‘soldiering on’ regardless could be just as detrimental to the productivity of our managers

 

According to recent research undertaken by the Chartered Management Institute, a lack of care at this level is taking its toll in terms of their productivity and lower motivation levels.1 The report, entitled “The Quality of Working Life 2007: Managers’ Health, Motivation and Productivity” uncovered links between managers’ health and wellbeing, and how effective they are at work.

Overworked and under par

A staggering 89% of managers admitted that they regularly work over and above their contracted hours. Over half of these cases were put down to the sheer volume of work required to meet their deadlines. Even when ill-health strikes, taking sick leave is not necessarily a given for many. Managers in the report revealed they take just 3.4 days sickness absence per year - a significantly lower figure compared to the CBI’s 6.7 day employee average across the workforce.2 Over two thirds said that sickness had reduced their ability to contribute to the best of their abilities and affected their job satisfaction; reflected in the fact that only 36% of managers believe they are currently working at or near peak productivity levels.1

 

Too busy to be ill?

In general, common physical illnesses, such as colds, headaches and back pain weren’t perceived to be serious enough to be off and in most cases these are self-limiting conditions. Dr Jenny Leeser, Clinical Director of Occupational Health with Bupa Wellness says: “Many people find it difficult to know when they are ill enough to be off work and some of the facts may be masked by working from home. But working with a fever or when made drowsy by pain killers is not going to do anyone any good.”

Almost one in three managers claimed they felt stressed at work, with a further 13 percent admitting to suffering from depression. Dr Leeser’s view is that: “This statistic may not be that much different from non-managers but it does give us a measure of the impact mental ill-health could have on the workplace.” She continues: “Workplace pressure can affect everyone differently. For some employees it can be motivational; for others it can lead to physical symptoms such as headaches or muscular tension if not addressed early on, and these might cause absence. For some people the adverse effects of pressure can lead to depression and there is then potential for long-term absence.”

In light of this, perhaps the Mental Health Foundation’s recommendation that managers should be trained to spot stress, poor work-life balance and its effects on fellow employees should apply to managers themselves.3

The domino effect

It is important that managers take more responsibility for improving their own health to keep themselves in good physical and mental working order; even considering investing more time in their leisure and fitness activities or learning relaxation techniques to boost wellbeing. Improving personal skills in time management and prioritising could also help to deal with the pressures of the job, avoid work overload and minimise risks to their performance in the workplace.

Although the survey focused on managers, negative moods and emotions could have an impact on fellow employees and even team spirit.1 With a better understanding of the impacts ill-health could have on productivity, maybe managers would take their own ‘minor’ illnesses a little more seriously, or at least get into the habit of doing a personal wellbeing check every now and again rather than just ploughing on.

 

A healthy balance

As a long-hours working culture is a reality for the overwhelming majority of managers in the report, managers are in turn likely to look to their organisations for help. The report suggests that private health cover, along with health and fitness coaching, health screening and nutritional advice, could help to reduce absence levels. When asked which other benefits they would value, managers opted for work-life balance programmes and health/fitness coaching. Clearly, integrating personal and professional commitments for a healthy work-life balance is a priority.

Output over input

A good work-life balance is something from which everyone can benefit and your business as a whole, not just individual employees, may see the difference. A healthier, more motivated workforce is likely to see improvements in productivity not to mention lower rates of absence and absenteeism. Of course, some employees are happy to work over and above standard working hours. A simple shift of emphasis, which measures the quality of the end result rather than intensive labours, could help put the need for additional time into perspective.

However, the reality of a long hours culture can be difficult to dispel. Employers can help by making sure that there is a clear message to the manager that they will be judged on their output and achieving their personal goals and objectives; not by how many days they have dragged themselves into work when unwell or by how late they are staying at work.

 

More information on dealing with health matters, including stress and depression, can also be found at www.bupa.co.uk/health

Next steps

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    Sources

    1 The Quality of Working Life 2007: Managers’ Health, Motivation and Productivity. Chartered Management Institute, October 2007.

    2 CBI Absence and Labour Turnover Survey. CBI, 2008.

    3 Work life balance information from the Mental Heath Foundation. Mental Health Foundation. www.mhf.org.uk, date accessed 3 June 2008.