Average “switch off” time for recession-hit Brit workers is 7pm
By ANIFriday, January 22, 2010
LONDON - While traditionally office work starts at nine and ends at five, a new survey reveals that recession-hit Britons take good two hours more before they are finally able to relax.
The study conducted by Spar Wines has shown that the average “switch off” time for workers in Britain is 7.12pm.
It showed that worries about job security and finances in the recession are making it harder for people to relax after putting in the hours at offices, shops and factories across the country.
Four out of 10 workers admitted stresses of work make it harder for them to switch off.
Nearly one in three, or 31 per cent workers said the journey home from work was the time when they started to look forward to putting the stress at work behind.
One in 10 workers said they started the wind down process just after lunch.
In the survey involving 1,200 daytime workers, 59 per cent said television this was their favourite way to unwind in the evening.
While 29 per cent agreed to reading a book, 33 pct said sitting down to an evening meal was their favourite ways to unwind.
For 31 pct of the respondents raising a glass of wine was another way to relax.
However, the way we choose to de-stress can also vary from region to region.
Cuddling up on the sofa is one of the favourite choices for people in Wales, while soaking in a hot bath is tops in the East of England.
Enjoying a glass of wine or a beer is the favourite way for northerners, while for people in London and the South-east it is children’s bedtime.
For Scots, it is either sitting down to an evening meal or reading their favourite novel.
“We all look forward to relaxing at the end of a long day and, with Britons working longer hours than anyone else in Europe, we deserve to make the most of our evenings,” the Daily Express quoted Cath McIlwham, marketing controller for Spar Wines, as saying.
“Whether you choose to sit down with a glass of wine or a cup of tea, it’s important to make time for yourself and forget the stresses of work,” Mcllwham added. (ANI)
