Rising Hours for Accountants & Finance Staff

A new study by the Swedish Government has backed up what many people already thought when it comes to working hours. The study of employees in a nursing home found that worker productivity increased when their working day was shortened from eight hours to six, while their pay remained the same. Interestingly, the research also found the employees were 2.8 times less likely to be absent from work over the time period. 

While working hours in Sweden may be going down, more accountants in the UK reported that their hours have increased over the past 12 months than decreased. According to our most recent salary survey, 33% of accountants have seen their working hours increase over the past 12 months, while just 14% have seen them decrease. For the majority (53%), working hours have remained largely unchanged. 

The average accounting professional in the UK works for 43.4 hours per week. However, there is a great deal of variation in the number of hours worked. Just 9% of accountants work less than 35 hours a week, while 12% put in an average number of hours greater than 50. A further 20% work for between 46 and 50 hours per week. 

It is also interesting to note that different sectors have experienced different changes in their working hours over the past 12 months. For example, 60% of accountants practicing in professional services have experienced an increase, compared to just 35% in commerce and industry.