Inside the latest issue... theHRDIRECTOR Issue 69
This issue we speak to
James Dalgleish
Head of HR - London Fire Brigade

The bah humbug award goes to...

The bah humbug award goes to..

Tech support is the highest ranking sector expected to be working all over the Christmas festivities, according to a new survey.

A surge in late night buying online, prompted online discount business MyVoucherCodes to look at the festive working habits of Brits, and has found that the majority of IT workers are expecting to work over Christmas, with half working or on standby on Christmas day, more than any other profession.

The study of 1,410 workers also found that IT workers work the least sociable hours of all Brits, with 4 in 5 saying they work after 7pm on at least three occasions throughout the week.

Journalists are amongst the employees working the most unsociable hours in the build up to Christmas also, with two in three saying they were expecting to be busy beyond 7pm in the coming month.

Despite large numbers of British workers expecting to work over the Christmas period, 23 percent said they'd be doing so for the same wage they normally work for. 42 percent of IT workers said they felt they were expected to work throughout Christmas rather than given the option. 

Here is a list of the professions that expect to be working on Christmas Day,

IT workers                              53 percent

Emergency service staff           51 percent

Journalists                              48 percent

Freight drivers                        46 percent

Petrol station attendants          41 percent

Restaurant staff                     38 percent

Pub staff                               36 percent

Care workers                        33 percent

Call centre workers                29 percent

Taxi drivers                           26 percent

Mark Pearson, founder of MyVoucherCodes.co.uk had the following to say,

"IT workers are often the unsung heroes of the workplace, putting in the hours before and after other workers arrive and leave. "The majority of companies couldn't operate without the maintenance provided by in-house and agency IT workers, and the sad fact is that many companies will also need them on standby throughout the festive period to ensure that all runs smoothly.

"The good news is that in terms of money saving voucher codes, we've never had more in the build up to Christmas, so no matter what time you're shopping, you can be sure to find money off presents for friends and family. We have hundreds of tech and gadget discount codes, including 10% off Precision Workstations at Dell, so even if techies are working, they can still find some fantastic deals."

18 December 2009