Four in ten working Brits routinely wake up in the middle of the night to check emails, according to new research.
A new study, conducted by British Summer Fruits, found that 34 per cent regularly tackle work issues in the dead of night, rather than leaving it until the morning.
Nearly half of those polled went further and claimed they frequently send emails to colleagues and clients between the hours of 11pm and 6am, while one in ten said they would fear for their job if they didn’t respond to emails promptly.
As many as 16 per cent said they often end up burning the midnight oil due to pressures from colleagues and the boss, while 11 per cent describe their life as ‘all work and no play’.
Even at the weekend, the average Brit works an average of three hours catching up on emails and dealing with issues they simply haven’t had time to deal with during the week, while 64 per cent of workers admit they lose sleep over work worries.
Of those surveyed, 45 per cent complained that their boss often called them during non-working hours and 28 per cent have been disturbed on a family holiday.
The new research suggests that more and more workers are turning to sugary and caffeinated drinks to get them through the working day. Over half of the 1,000 British employees surveyed said they rely on strong coffee to keep them focused during the long working week.
A further 14 per cent said they resort to energy drinks to stay alert in the office, while 27 admitted to eating sweets all day to perk them up.
However, 61 per cent said their reliance on high caffeine drinks makes it harder to switch off when they do get home.
Speaking about the research, Dr Emma Derbyshire, Nutritionist for British Summer Fruits said, “This research paints a bleak picture for British workers.”
“Whilst the advancement of technology has helped us in our professional careers, it also means we are contactable 24/7 and for many it makes the ability to switch off very hard.”
“We spend such a huge proportion of our lives at work anyway, it’s depressing to hear that so many professionals are having to work until the early hours of the morning in order to catch-up on their heavy work-load.”
