April 2023: The feel-good PR agency reveals that Brits are working 94 fewer hours annually than 30 years ago. This suggests that employees are prioritising work-life balance and their personal happiness over working long hours.
Lem-uhn analysed 30 years of ONS data to discover that the average person is working 5% fewer hours than in 1993. This equates to 93.6 hours fewer annually, 7.8 hours fewer per month and 1.8 hours fewer per week.
The weekly average for working hours had remained relatively steady prior to the pandemic. In January – March 2003, 2013 and 2019, the average working hours were 37.5 hours per week. However, following the pandemic, it has dropped to 36.4 hours per week. This figure is the lowest number of hours worked over the past 30 years excluding data from the pandemic when the number of hours dropped to 30.5 hours worked per week on average in April – June 2020.
Riannon Palmer, Managing Director of Lem-uhn comments: “The pandemic has proved a pivotal moment for many. Everyone slowed down and took a step back from their normal lives including working routines. I believe this provided the opportunity for individuals to reassess their priorities and many realised that a happier life was what they value most.”
The average working hours for employees in the UK:
| Year | Hours |
| January – March 1993 | 38.2 |
| January – March 2003 | 37.5 |
| January – March 2013 | 37.5 |
| January – March 2019 | 37.5 |
| November 2022 – January 2023 | 36.4 |
Launched in 2021, Lem-uhn was created as an alternative type of PR agency which prioritises happiness for both employees and clients. Employees work their set hours only and also benefit from a range of health and well-being initiatives which include two Wellness Days and 10 days of paid leave per year for menstruation, menopause discomfort or in the event of a miscarriage.
Lem-uhn shares a guide on how to be more positive at: https://www.lem-uhn.com/post/how-to-be-more-positive