Employees are spending half a day more in work than back in 2002, and a day more than they did a decade ago according to new research released today by an employment law firm.

Figures also show that men work longer hours than women in the workplace.

"On average we work half a day more than we did five years ago and almost a day more than a decade ago." said Alan Price, head of HR Business Practice at Peninsula. "Flexible working is not something that is evident in our figures; it seems that the working week is getting longer with an increase in people spending more time at work."

The Peninsula research shows that 36% of employees work in excess of 48 hours per week. 96% of those do so out of choice. In 1997 only 26% of those polled worked over 48 hours and 30% in 2002.

"Working longer hours can put a strain on personal life and it's ideal if businesses can offer increased flexibility working,” Price said. “However this may be easier for larger companies to implement but not necessarily the case for smaller firms who will struggle to juggle staff and labour costs and ensure productivity is not compromised. However the myth that employers force their staff to work longer hours should be dismissed as people do so out of choice."

The survey of over 2000 workers found that workers across all grades and sectors reported the working more hours. Peninsula believes this is due to an increase in both paid and unpaid overtime.

The company has recently introduced a software program to monitor the number of hours by any individual.