The number of company personnel jobs has increased 20-fold since the 1950s, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) also found.

A report to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year showed dramatic changes in the world of work and industry, with fewer skilled manual workers and more managerial, professional and technical jobs, as well as more pay inequality.

The number of people in work has increased by six million to 29 million, but one in four people are part-timers, compared to just 4% in the 1950s.

The value of output produced by the economy has quadrupled since 1952, but work-related stress has increased and the rapid advance of technology has led to information “overload”, said the CIPD.

The number of manufacturing jobs has fallen from 8.7 million to 2.5 million, while trade union membership has slumped by three million to 6.5 million.

John Philpott, the CIPD’s chief economic adviser, said: “In the six decades of Queen Elizabeth’s reign, work has continued to be the warp and weft of everyday life.

“Her Majesty’s subjects may devote more of their available time and money to leisure pursuits but even though work has changed in ways that could not be imagined in 1952, the UK still shows no sign of becoming the kind of leisure society predicted by the ‘end of work’ futurologists of yesteryear.

“Although five years into the Queen’s reign as our nation was emerging from post-war austerity the then prime minister Harold MacMillan declared that Britain “had never had it so good”, the average material standard of living was very meagre compared with what in 2012 we also call ‘austerity Britain’.

“Yet in our more unequal society, with the threat of unemployment an underlying concern even during good times, people do not seem much happier about their working lives and many exhibit the symptoms of work-related stress.

“Whatever the future of work, the lesson of the past six decades is that increased productivity and prosperity isn’t enough to enhance the common good in the workplace or society in general.”

The study also showed a widening pay gap between men and women, even though more women are now in employment.

[Press Association] Firms have been urged to encourage their staff to literally switch off when they finish work after new research showed that constantly checking smartphones and other gadgets for emails and messages increased stress levels.

A study by psychologist Richard Balding revealed that stress was likely to increase the more someone checked phones.

People who were most stressed experienced “phantom” alerts and checked their phone even when there were no new messages, it was found.

Research among more than 100 public sector, retail and other workers and university students discovered a “helpful-stressful” cycle, with phones usually bought to manage a workload.

Once an individual starts to use a smartphone, any benefits in managing a workload were displaced by pressure to check and respond to messages from friends in the new expanded “virtual social life”, said the report.

Mr Balding urged firms to consider the problem seriously, adding: “Smartphone use is increasing at a rapid rate and we are likely to see an associated increase in stress from social networking.

“Organisations will not flourish if their employees are stressed, irrespective of the source of stress, so it is in their interest to encourage their employees to switch their phones off, cut the number of work emails sent out of hours and reduce people’s temptation to check their devices.”

The research will be presented today at the British Psychological Society’s annual occupational psychology conference in Chester.

Research showed the extra labour was worth £29.2 billion to the UK economy, with London and the South East workers doing the most unpaid work.

The figures from Labour Force Survey Summer Quarter 2011 found 5.3 million workers put in an average of 7.2 hours of unpaid overtime a week last year, worth around £5,300 a year per person.

If workers who regularly put in unpaid overtime worked all their hours from the start of the year, the first day they would get paid would be February 24.

The TUC said this date would be its annual Work Your Proper Hours Day 2012 to highlight the issue.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “The heroic amount of extra unpaid hours put in by millions of workers make a vital – but often unsung – contribution to the UK economy.”

Workers in London (26.9%) and the South East (25%) were still the most likely to work unpaid overtime. Workers in the West Midlands (up 3%) and the North East (up 2.2%) experienced the sharpest rise in the likelihood of working unpaid overtime over the last year, the TUC analysis said.

The number of workers doing unpaid overtime had increased by more than a million since records began in 1992, when 4.2 million people regularly did unpaid overtime, to 5.3 million people in 2011. The proportion of workers doing unpaid overtime had also increased slightly, from 19.7% in 1992 to 21.1% in 2011.

The TUC said reducing the amount of unpaid overtime would not translate precisely into extra jobs.

It admitted many of the hours were a result of a British work culture of pointless presenteeism, but the organisation said persistent and excessive hours of unpaid overtime was holding back job creation.

Some employers were also forcing staff to work extremely long hours that could damage their health, when taking on extra employees would be far more productive and provide much needed jobs, it said.

“While many politicians and financial institutions have spectacularly failed to do their bit to help the UK economy, millions of hard-working staff clearly have and we hope employers congratulate them for their efforts on Work Your Proper Hours Day this year,” Mr Barber said.

“But while many of the extra unpaid hours worked could easily be reduced by changing work practices and ending the UK’s culture of pointless presenteeism, a small number of employers are exploiting staff by regularly forcing them to do excessive amounts of extra work for no extra pay.

“This attitude is not only bad for workers’ health, it’s bad for the economy too as it reduces productivity and holds back job creation.

“No-one wants to see us become a nation of clock-watchers. But a more sensible and grown up attitude to working time could cut out needless unpaid hours and help more people into work.”

In the run-up to Work Your Proper Hours Day 2012, the TUC will publish information and advice for staff and their bosses to try to cut out these unpaid hours at work.

The exact amount of unpaid overtime worked last year was 1,968 million hours.

Alcohol misuse within families is an “escalating concern”, according to Turning Point, a charity providing services for people with complex issues, including drug and alcohol misuse and mental health problems.

In its new study, Bottling It Up: The Next Generation, the organisation warns that 2.6 million children in the UK are living with a parent who drinks at hazardous levels.

Between 2010 and 2011, 12,248 people used Turning Point’s alcohol treatment services and nearly half (5,326) were parents, of whom more than a third (1,925) were mothers.

The average alcohol consumption of parents was 30 units per day – 24 for mothers and 33 for fathers.

This is the equivalent of 15 glasses or three bottles of wine or up to 15 pints of beer – almost 10 times recommended limits.

The report said “a key issue was that mothers often felt under pressure to be ‘perfect’ and that alcohol was a way of coping with the demands of motherhood.

“Some said a lack of support from their partners was a trigger for their drinking.

“Others were drinking at least three nights a week and consuming more than 70 units – the equivalent of nearly eight bottles of wine.

“Their drinking was often in secret when their children had gone to bed.”

One 35-year-old mother said: “I was trying to be Superwoman and I was too stubborn to ask for help.

“I felt I had to be the best mother I could possibly be. I was having two bottles of white wine a night, then I switched to vodka because people wouldn’t smell it on me.

“I’d only drink after I’d put (my son) to bed so on the outside I appeared to be functioning.”

The report found that children’s mental health could be affected by parental drinking, with some developing eating disorders, depression and even psychosis in adulthood.

Children living with affected parents are also more likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol at an earlier age and are more likely to progress to problematic use, the report went on.

Of 100 parents surveyed, 28% said their drinking meant their children often either missed school or found it difficult to concentrate at school.

More than half (55%) believed it had led to increased anger, anxiety and depression in their children.

A separate poll of more than 1,000 people across the country found that almost a quarter of parents are concerned about their own drinking, on a scale from slightly to very concerned.

More than half (52%) had allowed their children to drink. Of these, 77% let their children drink under the age of 16.

A total of 6% allowed children aged 10 and under to drink alcohol.

Turning Point’s director of substance misuse services, John Mallalieu, said: “In a climate where both services for treatment and for troubled families are being streamlined, it makes sense that alcohol services should be given the impetus to prioritise parents, or soon-to-be parents, into treatment.

“They should be helped to develop parental and coping skills so the problems they are experiencing with alcohol are not passed on to their children.

“Early intervention is key in preventing a new generation of children at risk of experiencing poor mental health, drug and alcohol addictions, truancy and worse.

“We must end the intergenerational cycle that their alcohol-misusing parents are leading them into by example.”

Regional manager Darren Woodward, from Turning Point’s substance misuse services, added: “Alcohol misuse is a hidden and growing problem which affects the whole family.

“When an adult has an alcohol problem, children suffer too.

“This can impact on how well they do at school, their job prospects and their mental health.”

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: “This report shows that Labour took their eye off the ball on tackling alcohol abuse during their 13 years in power.

“Their reckless policies, such as the decision to unleash a 24-hour drinking culture in our country, only made matters worse.

“Unlike the last Government, we have taken real action by imposing high taxes on super-strength beers and ciders and banning below-cost alcohol sales.

“Our alcohol strategy, which we will set out in the new year, will outline what further steps we are taking to tackle this growing problem.”

A survey of 1,300 employees by the Institute of Leadership & Management showed that almost half were putting in longer hours than a decade ago, while 51% felt more stressed.

Two-thirds said they had a higher workload than 10 years ago, leading one in three to feel less happy in their job.

Mobile phones and other devices topped the list of inventions managers wish had never been created.

Peter Cheese, chairman of the Institute of Leadership & Management, said: “Over the last 10 years, the workplace has become much more challenging for managers. Mobile technology brings with it a pressure to respond quickly and a temptation to work longer hours which is impacting on stress levels.

“While technology also offers a huge opportunity for organisations to enable staff to work smarter, the fact that business travel and commuting times are increasing shows that many firms are missing that opportunity.”

A study of well-being has shown 76% of people rated themselves as seven out of 10 or more when asked to gauge how satisfied they were with life.

The poll of 4,200 adults carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the figure rose to 78% when people were asked to rate the extent to which they feel the things they do in life are worthwhile.

A further 73% rated themselves as seven or more out of 10 when asked how happy they felt yesterday.

But more than one in four, or 27%, rated themselves above five out of 10 in a scale where zero rated as “not all anxious” and 10 rated as “completely anxious” when answering the question “how anxious did you feel yesterday?” compared to more than half, or 57%, with ratings of less than four out of 10.

The findings from continuous polling between April and August – apart from May – are the first set of experimental results on subjective well-being from the ONS following the launch last November of the national well-being programme by David Cameron.

Stephen Hicks, ONS project leader for measuring subjective well-being, said: “We are drawing on a range of measures to encapsulate national well-being measures including the subjective well-being measures that we are publishing today.

“These are early experimental results from our opinions survey but nevertheless they give us an indication of the well-being levels within Great Britain in this case.”

People polled in the survey were asked how satisfied they were with life, how happy they felt yesterday, how anxious they felt yesterday and to what extent they felt that the things they do in life are worthwhile.

The results showed that the better a person rated their health, the more likely they were to report higher ratings for life satisfaction, the extent to which the things they do in life are worthwhile and whether they were happy yesterday.

Having a partner was also positively associated with life satisfaction, worthwhile and “happiness yesterday” ratings. Ratings were lower on average for life satisfaction, worthwhileness and happiness yesterday for people who were unemployed than those who were employed or economically inactive.

The results have been released after findings were published in October by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) showing the British are one of the world’s most satisfied peoples.

The ONS polling was carried out before the grim economic news on jobs and growth announced this week by Chancellor George Osborne and forecasts by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) warning that average household incomes are set to drop by 7.4% in real terms between 2009/10 and 2012/13.

Entitled Giving Britain a Break, the report said quality time spent on holiday could help families as well as the economy.

The report called for holidays to be placed high on the political agenda in order to make the prospect of quality time away a reality for every family in Britain.

The report was supported by the Family Holiday Association and by holiday company Thomson which published survey results today showing that 42% of families do not spend enough quality time together.

The survey, of families with children aged 8-12, also revealed that 49% of youngsters in this age bracket felt they missed out on quality time with their fathers.

Also, 27% of parents said they spent less than a hour a day with their children in an average week, while two in five said that when they did set time aside, their children were busy doing other things.

David Burling, UK and Ireland managing director of Thomson’s parent company Tui, said: “We believe everybody needs quality time together. For many people, the easiest way to secure that time is to go on holiday, to give ourselves the chance to reflect on what’s really important and valuable.”

John McDonald, director of the Family Holiday Association, said: “We fully support the Parliamentary Group’s call for greater recognition of the advantages of more families getting a break.

“This would not only deliver real benefits for those families but provide a boost to the British tourism economy too.”

[Press Association] Stress has become the main cause of long-term sickness absence for the first time across British industry, a new study revealed today.

Research in almost 600 organisations also showed a link between job security and mental health issues, with employers planning redundancies “significantly” more likely to report problems among their staff.

Stress-related absence has increased more in the public sector, according to the report by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and health firm Simplyhealth.

Restructuring and organisational change were the main causes of stress among public sector workers, highlighting the impact of cuts in jobs, pay and pensions, said the report.

Public sector staff were also being affected the most by job insecurity amid redundancies planned in the coming months, it was found.

Dr Jill Miller, a CIPD adviser, said: “The survey this year shows that stress is for the first time the number one cause of long-term sickness absence, highlighting the heightened pressure many people feel under in the workplace as a result of the prolonged economic downturn.

“Stress is a particular challenge in the public sector, where the sheer amount of major change and restructuring would appear to be the root cause.

“To a large degree, managing stress is about effective leadership and people management, particularly during periods of major change and uncertainty.

“Line managers need to focus on regaining the trust of their employees and openly communicating throughout the change process to avoid unnecessary stress and potential absences.

“They also need to be able to spot the early signs of people being under excessive pressure or having difficulty coping at work and to provide appropriate support.”

Gill Phipps, of Simplyhealth, said: “Stress can often have a negative effect on the workplace, which can result in loss of productivity and disengaged employees.

“It’s therefore encouraging that almost half of employers have a well-being strategy in place, with 73% offering counselling services and a further 69% providing an employee assistance programme.

“These benefits allow employees access to information and advice on workplace issues, as well as emotional, psychological and personal issues, and can be a huge help during difficult times.

“Employers need to ensure that benefits such as these are communicated effectively to staff in order for employees to get the most from them.”

The research found that absence levels were lowest in manufacturing firms at fewer than six days per worker per year.

Comparison website uSwitch said that things were getting so bad that one in 10 people in this country were considering emigrating.

France and Spain came out on top of uSwitch’s Quality of Life Index, with the UK bottom of a 10-country league table, covering working hours, VAT, holidays, spending on health and education – and hours of sunshine.

The UK also came bottom of another table based on the cost of energy, petrol, food, alcohol, cigarettes, and life expectancy.

Households in the UK struggled with a high cost of living, with food and diesel prices the highest in Europe, while unleaded petrol, alcohol and cigarettes all cost more than the European average, said the report.

People in the UK now have the lowest holiday entitlement in Europe as well as having one of the highest retirement ages, the study found.

A survey of over 2,000 adults found their biggest concern was “broken society”, as well as the cost of living, crime and violence.

Some 5% said they were happy with the UK, with over one in 10 “seriously considering” emigrating.

France topped the index for the third year in a row, despite the average household annual net income being £7,000 below that of the UK.

Ann Robinson, director of consumer policy at uSwitch.com, said: “Last year at least our neighbours in Ireland were worse off, now we can’t even console ourselves with that. We are now officially at the bottom of the pile.

“We may still be enjoying the fourth highest household income in Europe, but the high cost of living means that we’re living to work.

“When coupled with many of the issues facing households in the UK today it’s not surprising that one in 10 of us have contemplated starting a new life abroad.

“But for those of us who decide to stick it out and ride the storm, there will be no choice but to batten down the hatches.

“Cutting back where possible to help combat our high living costs will go some way to improving our quality of life.

“This may be the only way to steer through these turbulent times until we reach a point where we can start to see our quality of life improve.”

Successful juggling

Annabel: One of the most difficult things about being a working parent is juggling your commitments.  For some people this turns into a nightmare combination of deadlines and stress that puts their health and jobs at risk.  But unreliable staff makes things very difficult for a boss.  However sympathetic your employer may be, the business has a job that needs to be done. 

Allie:  If we are going to have achievable goals and reduce stress, we need to learn good time management skills and to make realistic commitments.

Annabel:   In a lot of organisations the men and women who climb the corporate ladder are working really long hours and are available to their company 24 hours a day 7 days a week.   Many new parents are at a time in their lives when they simply do not want to do this.  Some take the opportunity to move into jobs that are less consuming, so that they can have better work-life balance.  

Allie:   When you reduce your hours, you need to agree with your boss (in writing) what your new role and responsibilities will be.  Play your part in ensuring that your boss has realistic expectations of what can be achieved in your reduced timetable, and don’t over-commit in the job description. 

Annabel:  Statistics show that women do well at equal opportunity until the children come along, and then they fall behind. It may be that motherhood, rather than gender is what makes the difference.    There is an enormous difference between what the most family friendly organisation can do, and the worst.   Check out http://www.topemployersforworkingfamilies.org.uk/ and look at last year’s winners and this year’s shortlist.

Allie:   Working parents often feel excluded from opportunities for promotion or high visibility projects because they are not in the pub or round the coffee machine when people are talking about what might happen.    You need a strategy to overcome this. Allocate some work socialising in your time management plan. And make sure, in your appraisals, that your manager knows you have not given up on getting ahead.

Annabel:   There is no specific protection for working parents.  Whilst the Equality Act and its predecessors provide protection for women where a requirement such as full time working is something they are less likely to be able to comply with, or part time workers (regardless of gender), there is no overall right to prioritise your family and hold down a high powered job.  For many parents, the arrival of children is a time when they have to work out how to maximise their income and yet provide for children.  Usually, the highest earner continues and the lower seeks flexible working or alternatives.  Women still earn on average 80% of what men earn, so often it is the woman whose career suffers.  For some women this is a great opportunity to spend time with their children and enjoy family life, but for others this can be a difficult sacrifice to make.

Do you have a query that you’d like Allie or Annabel to answer?  Follow this link and post your question for them – http://balancingthebump.com/contact/

>> To find out more about 1230 The Women’s Company visit http://www.1230.co.uk/