TWO-THIRDS OF IRISH workers occasionally spend unpaid time on work projects in order to cope with their workload, according to a new survey from Peninsula Ireland.

Meanwhile, just under half (43 per cent) say that they feel their overtime is not acknowledged by their boss.

According to the survey, 76 per cent say they work an average of 65 minutes extra a month.

Last year, just over half of the survey’s respondents said that they work in their spare time to cover their workload, clocking up 52 minutes extra a month.

Peninsula Ireland surveyed 934 employees across a range of industry by telephone for this year’s poll. The organisation’s managing director Alan Price says that the results show a “steady increase” from last year and highlight an issue that needs to be addressed.

“The current economic recession has accounted for major cuts for many businesses, and subsequently many companies have reduced staff numbers,” he said. “This has led to a greater workload for the remaining employees who are forced to comply in order to keep their job safe.”

He says that employers can’t be expected to know all overtime carried out by their staff and that employees should make their bosses aware of their situation and negotiate how to deal with it better “whether this be financial or through the possibility of job advancement”.