UK workers clocking in for 11 hours a day as commute is cut

UK employees are working two hours longer per day, compared with immediately before the crisis, primarily from using their morning commute time to work longer, according to a report from corporate virtual network provider.

People are spending more hours working from home than they did in the office.

The analysis of NordVPNTeams’s clients indicated that their 10,000s of corporate employees that have started working from home in the past week are typically working 11 hours a day, some of the longest hours in the world at this time.

Most European countries are working slightly more, but the UK has the biggest increase. In the US, however, people have seen a 40 per cent increase in the average workday - the largest jump worldwide.

The data revealed employees are also starting work earlier - but finishing at the same time.

Daniel Marcusson, digital privacy expert of NordVPN Teams, said: “The analysis of our clients indicated that their 10,000s of corporate employees that have started working from home in the past week are typically working 11 hours a day, some of the longest hours in the world at this time.

“Typically people homeworking are starting work earlier - but finishing at their usual same time. The lack of a morning commute is currently being used as additional work time, which looks like a win-win for employees and businesses.

He added: “In the face of Coronavirus pandemic, people seem to be focused and united more than ever. Therefore, we expect the working hours to remain longer throughout the crisis. When the restrictions are lifted, I expect that many UK businesses will be much more receptive to greater homeworking.”

The firm said business VPN usage had skyrocketed in Canada, Austria, and the Netherlands, growing by over 200 per cent. Interestingly, Italians showed a modest 10 per cent growth, which coincided with a widely-reported spike in usage on home networks, many of which might lack the necessary protection for remote work.