Workaholic bosses risk burn out with 100 hour weeks

Bosses and senior managers in UK organisations are risking their own health and the health of their staff by putting in up to 100 hours per week at the office, according to new research.

The survey of business owners and senior managers at 600 small and medium-sized companies found that a third regularly work more than 48 hours per week - the limit set by the European Working Time Directive.

The average working week of UK bosses is around 58 hours but some admitted to spending between 80 and 100 hours per week at the office.

Peter Mooney, head of consultancy at the Employment Law Advisory Service (Elas), which carried out the survey, admitted that entrepreneurs and bosses work those hours out of choice and that they are well compensated for it.

He told silicon.com: "If bosses choose to work 24 hours a day that is up to them."

But Mooney said that kind of culture has a knock-on effect on their staff who feel under pressure to put in long hours as well.

He said: "Some of these bosses sometimes expect their staff to be exactly the same and that can lead to problems. They are frightened to go home and in the worst case scenario stress levels rise and their health starts to suffer."

Mooney also warned of the potential health and safety risks of having tired staff make mistakes at work.

Elas said the UK's opt-out clause for employers under the 48-hour working week limit is adding to the problem of the long-hours culture in the UK. France, for example, does not have an opt-out clause for companies and a 35-hour working week is rigidly imposed.

Mooney said the EC is expected to challenge the right of UK employers to opt out of the 48-hour week limit over the next year.

A separate study last week by the Trades Union Congress claims IT staff work the equivalent of an extra day per week without pay because of unpaid overtime and a long-hours culture in the UK.