The 2019 index reveals that while 12% work 49 hours or more per week, roughly one-third of respondents who worked overtime were not compensated with additional time off or remuneration Shutterstock

The 2019 index reveals that while 12% work 49 hours or more per week, roughly one-third of respondents who worked overtime were not compensated with additional time off or remuneration Shutterstock

The Quality of Work index project was launched by the CSL with the “Inside” research unit at the University of Luxembourg in 2012. Since 2013 a public opinion survey of around 150 questions, available in five languages, has been carried out with the aim of evaluating work quality of work and employee well-being. In 2019, there were 1,495 respondents, 57% of which were Luxembourg residents, the remaining cross-border workers.

Findings for the 2019 index show that overall working satisfaction increased to 63.1 in 2019 (compared with 60.6 in 2018). Nevertheless, the level is slightly lower than levels seen in years 2014-17 (which hovered around 65 points each year). Job security was among the positive aspects seen in the study, +9% since 2014, while over the same period there was a decrease in satisfaction when it came to continuous training (-13%), participation in decisions (-12%), and feedback (-5%). While remuneration remained more or less stable, as did opportunities for promotion, there has been a decline over 2014 to 2019 in workers having autonomy at work (although from 2018, there was a slight improvement--from 50.4 to 52.5, but compare this to 56.7 in 2014). 

More than one-third not compensated for overtime

Over the same period, 2014-2019, the number of respondents who saw a conflict between their work and professional life rose 27%, while the risk of burnout rose 18%. 

The survey also saw a rise in the average number of hours worked weekly, with 12% claiming they work 49 hours or more per week; despite this, roughly one-third of respondents who worked overtime were not compensated with additional time off or remuneration. The top reasons for working overtime were the impossibility of finishing work during agreed-upon working hours (46%) followed by “other operational reasons” (24%). “The share of business reasons is significantly higher (83% overall) than personal reasons”, such as more money or the sheer pleasure of the job, according to the report's author. Unsurprisingly, the greater the number of overtime hours worked, the larger proportion of those who were dissatisfied with their work-life balance. Women found it more difficult to reconcile their jobs with their private lives (50%, compared to 38% of men).  

Also worth noting: over one-third of employees had not taken all their holiday days in the past calendar year (37%). Those most impacted were employees in the ICT, finance and insurance sectors. 82% of respondents are able to carry over the remainder of all days not taken, while 15% could carry over a fraction, and 3% not at all. “Those who give up their holidays have, on average, fewer days off per year than others,” the report author notes.