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Poles work six hours a week for free: report

15.08.2022 16:13
Polish employees, on average, are not paid for 5 hours and 48 minutes of their work every week, according to ADP’s report "People at Work 2022: A Global Workforce View."
More than 10 of Poles are believed to suffer from workaholism, according to a 2019 study.
More than 10% of Poles are believed to suffer from workaholism, according to a 2019 study.Kzenon/Shutterstock

The study has revealed that one in four Poles do not receive any money for six to ten hours of additional work every week. Meanwhile, some 34% of Polish employees are willing to do overtime as long as they get paid.

'In the two years since the outbreak of the pandemic, most employees, following a remote or a hybrid work model, have managed to find some work-life balance, but some are still taking on extra hours,' head of ADP's HR department, Anna Barbachowska, has explained.

This year’s figures show an upward tendency, as the previous report indicated that Poles would work a 'mere' 5 hours and 30 minutes without payment.

'Answering phone calls or responding to job-related emails after work has become the new normal in the COVID era. Some people, in fear of being laid off, voluntarily stayed longer hours,' the expert noted.

Barbachowska also warned that working extra hours might lead to chronic fatigue, increased stress levels and resentment towards one’s professional responsibilities.

In comparison, the world’s average of unpaid working time is 8.5 hours a week, while in Europe the figure stands at nearly eight hours a week.

According to a 2019 study by pollster CBOS, 11% of Poles are struggling with workaholism.

(pjm)

Source: Dziennik Gazeta Prawna