One in four IT managers work close to a 60-hour week, the
equivalent of working four hours overtime every day, as a direct
result of the introduction of Internet-based applications to their
businesses.
Research commissioned by outsourced Internet operations company
Attenda showed that nine out of ten IT managers exceed the 48-hour
working week specified by the European Working Time Directive.
According to respondents, the top reason for the extra hours was a
lack of resources (28 per cent), followed by pressure of
development work (22 per cent). Some 14 per cent said they were
called on for "out of hours" support calls and 10 per cent cited
"tight or unrealistic deadlines" as the cause of extra hours
worked.
The results were consistent across the country and by industry
sector. Those in the south, excluding London, are most burdened by
extra hours with 95 per cent working beyond the standard week,
closely followed by the Midlands 88 per cent, London 86 per cent,
Scotland 75 per cent, and the north 71 per cent.
The Government sector was the hardest hit of the industry sectors
with all respondents saying that they worked beyond the standard
working week.
This was closely followed by retail 93 per cent, education 89 per
cent, finance 87 per cent, manufacturing 86 per cent, and hi-tech,
86 per cent.
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