PAID LESS FOR MORE

It seems we are becoming an overworked and underpaid nation of grafters – working longer hours and earning less for it. Research from the Centre for Labour and Social Studies shows eight out of 10 people believe they will be poorer this year as the cost of living continues to rise faster than wages.

A fifth of working households have had to take on a second job to make ends meet and a further fifth are seriously considering doing this.

Dr Faiza Shaheen, director of CLASS, said: “Workers are rapidly losing hope. There are two economies in Britain – one where the Government boasts about record employment, and the other which is defined by work intensification and a neverending pay squeeze.

”I fear for the health and wellbeing of Britain’s workforce. There is only so long that workers can make ends meet by maxing out their credit.”

Meanwhile, a survey by Totaljobs found the ‘always-on’ culture is damaging our work performance as half of workers admit they lose sleep worrying about their job.

The average employee loses nine hours and 29 minutes sleep a week. One in four say sleep deprivation affects the quality of their performance at work and a similar number have fallen asleep at their desk.

The survey also revealed that a fifth of employees find it difficult to switch off from work and one in 10 check emails before they go to bed.