Seven out of ten workers who work more than 48 hours a week do so largely as a result of their own choice rather than employer compulsion, according to new research.

The CIPD survey of over 750 long hours workers, ‘Calling Time on Working Time?’, also finds scant evidence of any employer abuse of the opt-out clause. Over three-quarters of staff sign the clause as a result of their own choice rather than any employer pressure.

In addition, only a minority actually sign the clause at the same time as signing their employment contracts – a key concern identified in the Commission’s consultation document which closed on Wednesday.

The survey found that only 35% would like to see the opt-out clause removed, which would in effect compel organisations to limit the working week to 48 hours.

If the long-hours workers were faced with a strict rule that they were not allowed to work more than 48 hours, 50% claimed that it would have no effect on them. A further 12% indicated that they would have to get a second job and 9% change job altogether.

On balance, more people favour employer attempts to restrict the number of working hours than those who don’t. Some 55% of long-hours workers believed it to be a good idea, compared with 37% who disagreed. Around 16% of respondents identified ‘greater flexibility’ as the measure they would most welcome.

However, while UK workers welcome the intervention of their employers to reduce their working hours, they are less receptive to the involvement of the EU. When explicitly asked whether the EU should have the right to limit the number of hours you choose to work, two-thirds were against the notion.

When asked to identify moves that the organisation has made to reduce working hours, almost one-quarter of respondents put forward time sheets.

“Rather than having inflexible uniform limits, employers need to be looking at more varied, creative, motivating and effective ways of increasing performance and productivity than simply increasing the workload and working hours of their staff,” said Duncan Brown, CIPD Assistant Director-General.

“Yet in this study fewer than half of employees felt that they had access to flexible working options,” he added.