TurkStat Survey: 41.5 Percent of Workers Work Under Time Pressure

* Photo: pixabay / djedj

Click to read the article in Turkish

The Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) has released the findings of its survey on "Work Organization and Working Time Arrangements".

According to the survey covering the second quarter of 2019, while 41.5 percent of the employed people work under time pressure, 29.8 percent have said that they can decide the start and end of working time themselves. While 28.5 percent of the employed men can decide their working time themselves, this rate is 32.7 percent among women participants.

9 percent of the employed people have stated that they can decide the start and end of the working time according to certain restrictions and 61.1 percent have indicated that they determine it according to the employer or organization, the clients, tasks or legal regulations.

* Flexibility of employed persons to start and end of working time

According to the status in employment, 6.2 percent of regular or casual employees, 77.6 percent of employers, 83 percent of self-employed and 78.2 percent of unpaid family workers can decide this time themselves.

Most difficult group to take hourly leave

The survey of the Institute has shown that when it comes to taking hourly and daily leave from work, the most challenging occupational group is plant machine operators and assemblers.

The most difficult group to take hourly leave in one working day is plant and machine operators and assemblers with 31.6 percent. In this group, 40.4 percent of the employees have stated that it is difficult for them to take leave for the next few days within three working days.

The easiest occupational group to get hourly leave is skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers with 97.8 percent. 94.1 percent of the employees in this group have indicated that it is easy to take daily leave.

Working under time pressure

According to the results of the survey, 41.5 percent of the employed people have stated that they are working under time pressure while the remaining 58.5 percent have said that they do not work under such pressure.

While 47.3 percent of regular or casual employees have stated that they work under time pressure, this rate is 39.3 percent for employers, 29.3 percent for self-employed and 24.8 percent for unpaid family workers.

* The ratio of working under time pressure

Presence or working hours at work recorded

48.8 percent of regular or casual employees have stated that their working hours, 11 percent of regular or casual employees have stated that their presence at work are recorded in the workplace. The ratio of those who do not have record of presence or working hours at workplace is 40.1 percent.

In the industrial sector, the recording of working hours at work is 65.5 percent and the recording of presence is 6.3 percent for regular or casual employees. These rates are 47.3 percent and 13.3 percent in the services sector.

* The recording of presence or working hours of regular or casual employee

People contacted out of working time

The survey results have also shown that 21.7 percent of the employed people were contacted in the last two months by employers, chief or clients once or twice on work matters out of their working time, and 9.6 percent of them were contacted three or more times.

2.8 percent of those contacted three or more times were expected to take action before their next working day/working hour while 6.7 percent were not expected to take action. 68.7 percent of employed have not been contacted in the last two months on any work matters out of their working hours.

Average commuting time

Lastly, sharing data on average commuting time, the survey has shown that the average commuting time of 30.3 percent between home and work (one way) is less than 15 minutes. While 30.3 percent have said that this average time is between 15-30 minutes for them, 26.2 percent have said that they have an average commuting time between 30-59 minutes.

6.2 percent of the participants reach their workplace between 60-89 minutes. While 1.3 percent have 90 minutes or more commuting time between home and work, 5.4 percent have stated that they work from home.

About the survey

Ad hoc module survey on "Work Organization and Working Time Arrangements" was applied together with Household Labour Force Survey in the second quarter of 2019 (April, May and June).

The aim of this module, which was conducted with the scope of harmonization with European Union (EU), is to measure the aspects of work organization and working time arrangements identifying their flexibility for workers and employers. The module covers all 15 years and over employed individuals. The research conducted in the same period with the EU countries is the first modular survey in Turkey. (HA/SD)

* Source: TurkStat