A quarter of Irish professionals work beyond core hours as skills shortages drive extended working.
New research reveals that only 25% of Irish professionals adhere to their core office hours, with the majority working extended schedules to manage demanding workloads and skills shortages across the workforce.
The study by Robert Walters found that 37% of professionals start early or finish late every day, while 38% report their hours depend entirely on workload. Two-thirds of respondents describe their current workload as demanding.
“Many Irish workers are working longer hours to meet demands or connect with colleagues in different time zones”
The primary driver for extended working hours is catching up on work or meeting deadlines, cited by 54% of professionals. An additional quarter reported working late to communicate with teams in different time zones.
“Despite critical skills shortages impacting hiring plans in some areas, many employers still expect the same productivity and output, putting pressure on existing staff,” said Suzanne Feeney, country manager of Robert Walters Ireland. “Our research indicates that many Irish workers are working longer hours to meet demands or connect with colleagues in different time zones.”
Irish offices typically operate within an 8:00 am to 6:00 pm window, with a one-hour lunch break creating a standard 37.5-hour work week.
Always-on culture extends to holidays
The pressure to remain connected extends beyond regular working hours, with 53% of Irish professionals admitting to checking emails during annual leave to reduce their backlog upon return.
Microsoft’s Work Trend Index highlighted the “infinite workday” trend, showing that 40% of professionals worldwide begin checking emails at 6 AM to manage busy inboxes. Additionally, 29% log back into work emails by 10 PM, and 20% do so on weekends. Meetings held after 8 PM have increased by 16% year-on-year.
“To avoid professionals feeling pressured to clock-in at all hours, response times must be clarified through things like time-zone tagging in correspondence, implementing delayed sends and allocating specific, pre-agreed time slots for international calls,” Suzanne advised.
Employers redistribute workloads
When asked how they address skilled talent shortages, 45% of Irish employers admitted to redistributing work among existing staff, while 26% hired less skilled professionals to fill gaps.
The impact on existing employees is significant, with 66% describing their workload as heavy and demanding.
“Although numerous Irish employers are increasing hiring in 2025, skills shortages continue to leave many crucial positions unoccupied, leaving existing staff to pick up extra tasks and projects just to maintain growth,” Suzanne reflected. “With so many identifying their workloads as heavy or demanding, it’s only a matter of time before this escalates into widespread burnout.”
Solutions for workplace efficiency
Irish workers have identified potential solutions, with 43% supporting the trial of “power hours” – specific blocks of interruption-free time designed to promote concentration and boost productivity.
“Implementing ‘power hours’ may not fit every workplace, but it does underscore the importance of optimising the working day,” Suzanne concluded. “If employers continue to tolerate a culture of silent overwork within their organisations, especially in the wake of skills shortages, they risk not only burnout and attrition but also a collapse in morale and productivity.”
“Addressing this means resetting expectations on working hours from the top. Not only should leaders openly acknowledge when responsibilities and remits are increased; clear protocols and expectations should be put in place to ensure staff are supported in prioritising tasks, setting expectations for deadlines and being transparent on their capacity.”
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