Yahoo Finance A third of Londoners say they work more than 50 hours a week
More than a third of Londoners say they work more than 50 hours a week, according to new figures.
A representative survey of over 2,000 people found Londoners had the worst work-life balance in the UK, as well as the joint highest levels of anxiety and depression.
35% of Londoners they worked at least a 50-hour week, well ahead of the region with the next longest hours reported by respondents, the East Midlands (25%).
Working more than 48 hours per week is against the law, but employees can and are sometimes expected to opt out of the rules.
While many companies may not systematically allow their workers to exceed legal limits, some workers will effectively work more than allowed because of unpaid overtime, lunches not taken or unpaid weekend work.
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London’s 5.9 million jobs, a median wage £12,000 higher than the national average and the wide range of employment opportunities in the capital might suggest Londoners are better off than much of the country.
But the reality is that the cost of living is more than double the rest of the UK. CV-Library research suggests average disposable income is £2,000 less than in other UK cities like Aberdeen, Liverpool and Glasgow.
Greater financial pressures, including the most expensive private rental market in the whole of Europe, may be behind London’s poor figures in terms of its inhabitants’ mental health and wellbeing.
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Almost half (47%) of Londoners in the survey, by chemical testing company Eos Scientific, said they have had anxiety/depression throughout their professional career, the joint-highest rate alongside Welsh respondents.
Almost two in three (38%) Londoners said their work-life balances had had a negative impact on their mental health, with the West Midlands recording the second worst scores at 35%.
A further two in three (41%) respondents said they had considering using holistic remedies like Cannabidiol (CBD) oil to help manage their health rather than visiting their local GP.
