Eight out of ten finance directors say they are working 'too hard'

This week’s Accountancy Age/Reed Accountancy Personnel Big Question survey found that most directors felt they had to work harder just to ‘do their jobs’.

Technological advances such as the internet were adding to pressure. ‘People today are working harder than ever. Employers now expect people to put in how ever many hours are needed to finish the job,’ one director said.

‘Although there are standard hours generally people do tend to work longer hours to ensure that work is completed,’ John Gregory, financial director at Dainippon Screen Eng of Europe said. ‘They do however receive the credit and rewards back in other ways in recognition of their efforts.’

‘Promise of the IT revolution has not made life any easier and in some ways has increased pressure,’ another director said.

Just 11% said they did not work too hard, with 7% neutral.’I am paid to do a job and have to work to do it but I do not regard it as too hard, George Sutherland, financial director at the University of Edinburgh said.

‘I do think though, that more and more executives are under pressure because there is an increasing culture of deliver or leave, particularly at the middle/senior rather than top management level.’

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