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As the Trade Unions Congress (TUC) reveals that in the last 12 months half a million people have seen their pay packets shrink because they've stopped getting paid overtime, the latest survey* from leading wellbeing business, Water Wellpoint, suggests that people no longer work to live, but invest in their job and their careers. 

Or perhaps they just feel the pressure to work longer hours to keep their job!  According to the new research, 72 percent of respondents work longer than their basic hours and 27% work late every day, but 84 percent never claim overtime.

"Our survey shows that binge working is ingrained in today's work culture", explains Rory Murphy, External Affairs, Water Wellpoint. "And the recession is definitely having an impact on how people work. 34 percent of respondents said that they work longer hours now to meet increased deadlines and targets. In fact, working late now seems to be standard practice, with nearly a third of workers (29 percent) staying after hours twice a week and 27% working overtime every day.  And they are not alone, nearly half (48 percent) said their colleagues work overtime too."

The Water Wellpoint research also indicates that the recession has had a direct impact on working habits with nearly half of respondents (43 percent) saying these have changed in the last year. "The findings of this research suggest that there is quite a strong ‘team spirit' in the working environment, with workers pulling together in order to cope with mounting work loads which may have been caused by redundancies or budget cuts" continued Rory Murphy. "However, it does appear that employers are benefiting, with an overwhelming 84% saying they never claim overtime, while 54% of respondents haven't even been offered paid overtime. This might be good news for UK plc in these straitened times, but it needs to be tempered with ensuring the on-going health and wellbeing of workers."