Extra hours here to stay

THE 40 hour week is long gone, according to a recent survey by Morgan & Banks’ legal division.

Almost three quarters of Australians now work an extra five to ten hours a week compared to 1997, with 87 per cent receiving no additional pay for the extra hours.

Advertising and human resources are the most time-demanding industries, with almost 70 per cent of those employees surveyed working longer hours.

Every employee surveyed said they were working at least one to two extra hours a week.

Extra workload was the reason for 66 per cent of those surveyed, while 33 per cent said they were working longer hours to make up for fewer staff.

While the majority of those surveyed said they worked extra hours for no extra pay, about 24 per cent of those earning less than $50,000 receive overtime compared to just 6.29 per cent of those earning $100,000 plus.