Manchester has been revealed as the home of the UK’s most ‘overworked’ employees, according to a new study.
In case you weren’t aware, April is also National Stress Awareness Month, and we all know that work and our jobs can be a huge contributing factor to our stress levels – but where abouts in the country are you likely to find the people experiencing the most stress at the hands of their career? In other words, where do the most overworked employees live?
Well, in a bid to answer this question, call-answering company Moneypenny decided to carry out a survey of 1,000 UK workers to discover which cities and industries are most likely to work overtime, and the hours they clock up each month.
The survey also looked at how the working of overtime impacts on the wellbeing and personal relationships of workers.
And, unfortunately, Manchesterhas claimed the top spot on the list.
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Mancs have been revealed as the most ‘overworked’ employees in the UK / Credit: Unsplash
The shocking new research found that, overall, 84% of Brits say they feel pressured to work overtime in their job, and one in four who do work overtime end up doing so without extra pay too – with the expectations of fulfilling their role’s responsibilities cited as being the top reason for people going above and beyond.
52% of survey respondents from 15 major UK cities have admitted to working overtime on a weekly basis, but when it comes to here in Manchester, that figure is even higher
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Mancs who responded to the survey said they stay behind at work an average of 9.6 days each month.
Clocking up a whopping average of 31.68 hours of monthly overtime, the average weekly contracted hours of employed residents is 32, meaning Manchester workers are adding an extra week’s worth of labour onto their monthly hours.
Top 10 Most Overworked Cities in the UK
Manchester
London
Norwich
Bristol
Belfast
Sheffield
Southampton
Nottingham
Leeds
Newcastle
London, Norwich, Bristol, and Belfast are the other four cities rounding out the top five behind Manchester, while fellow Northern cities in the top 10 include Leeds and Sheffield.
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The number one industry where employees were found to work the most overtime was Law Enforcement and Security, followed by Business, Consulting, and Management, IT, and Energy and Utilities, with Media and Internet closing out the top five.
The study also showed that working overtime, whether driven by job demands or economic factors, has a significant impact on lives outside of the workplace too.
More than a quarter (26%) of respondents reported that working overtime harmed their physical health, while 23% cited adverse effects on their mental health, and on top of this, more than one in six workers stated that overtime had caused relationship issues, with one in 12 even admitting that it had led to a breakup.
Manchester firefighter surprises partner with proposal during new recruits parade
Danny Jones
We’re a sucker for a wholesome little video as we know you are, which is exactly why we thought of you lot when we came across this video of a newly graduated Manchester firefighter surprising his partner with a heartwarming proposal.
Just the kind of heartwarming that usually sets us off after a long week at work.
The clip shared by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) on Thursday, 25 April, shows Manc fireman James popping the question to his girlfriend sat unassumingly in the audience at a recent passing out ceremony.
Pass out ceremonies are when trainees go from recruits to fully qualified firefighters after completing their intensive operational training. It’s a long-standing tradition in the emergency services where friends and family gather to celebrate their achievements – it’s almost like it’s the perfect opportunity…
Watch as a Manc firefighter turns his passing out ceremony into a surprise proposal.
As you can see, since the graduates are usually the centre of attention, James couldn’t help but size his moment and instead of walking and lining up normally like everyone else, he decided to head straight over to his wife-to-be and get down on one knee.
You already know the rest.
Welling up immediately and barely able to remove her hands from her face, Melissa nods and says yes as the crowd cheers and the pair share a smooch.
Writing on social media, the GMFRS said: “We managed to capture a VERY special moment at our new recruits pass out parade today… Congratulations to James and Melissa!”, adding, “Certainly one way to start your new career”.
If we don’t see all the groomsmen dressed as firefighters on a random viral video sometime soon we’re going to be gutted.
All the best to the happy couple and if you’ve got any more lovely clips like this to send in so we can make ourselves cry (in a good way), you know what to do.
Featured Images — Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
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The Chestergate pub in Stockport is at it again with some of the most wonderfully Manc scenes you’ll ever see
Danny Jones
The legendary Chestergate pub in Stockport is back with another belter of a video, following on from their viral belly-flashing clip of 2022.
The Mersey Square boozer has painted yet another quintessentially Northern depiction of UK pub culture with the latest Manc scenes they’ve captured around the karaoke machine.
If you’ve never had the pleasure of stumbling into The Chestergate in Stockport town centre, the long-standing boozer currently operated by publican chain Blind Tiger Inns, you’re seriously missing out.
While it might not be the flashiest of pubs, when it comes to entertainment, it always delivers.
Whether it’s stunts like renaming themselves ‘The Southgate’ whenever the Euros or World Cup rolls around, or the locals just genuinely having a whale of a time no matter what day of the week it is, it really sums up the best of pub culture.
The Chestergate went viral for some of the most British footage ever caught on film back in 2022 and the videos saw a huge wave of love and support flooding in for the pub, as well as a healthy amount of chuckles. Safe to say we were chuffed to see them pop back up on our feed again recently.
Karaoke night at The Chestergate literally never disappoints.
Forget ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ or ‘Champagne Supernova’ for karaoke songs – we’ll take a cacophony of inaudible throwback pop music, whilst another bloke and his hype man try and MC over a totally ill-fitting beat any day of the week.
And that’s handy because you’ll find those kinds of shenanigans happening at this place all the time.
It’s simultaneously one of the most no-nonsense and somehow a non-stop shenanigan-filled paradise. They also look after their own and consider their regulars part of the family. Case and point: they threw their very own ‘Dancing Queen’ Molly a big bash for her 86th birthday and it’s such wholesome viewing.
At this point, it’s worth flagging that we have nothing but envy for these folks and anyone who’s just out there having the time of their lives on any random weeknight.
Yes, it produced plenty of laughs for those watching online in recent times but this lot won’t mind one bit – not only is the pub seeing more and more new faces through the door but that’s the whole point of a pub, isn’t it? Going for a pint with your nearest and dearest and having a laugh.
Not only is it very Manchester but it’s Britain at its very best.
We hope to see you at The Chestergate pub in Stockport for a pint or two sometime soon and we’re making a bit of a prat of ourselves, don’t worry, we’re sure they’ll have the cameras ready for you.
Emily Sergeant -
10th April 2024 
