After slow but steady progress over the last decade, long working hours are making their way back into Britain’s workplaces. Employees across the UK already work the longest hours in Western Europe with the least amount of public holidays. The recent increase will mean lower productivity, more stress and less time to have a life outside the office with friends and family.

This is supported by a recent survey commissioned by Beefeater Restaurants, which reveals that 70.6% of Britons don’t feel they have a positive work/life balance. Work-life balance is achieved when an individual’s right to a fulfilled life inside and outside paid work is accepted and respected as the norm, to the mutual benefit of the individual, business and society. The survey, carried out by NEMS Market Research, shows that, as a nation, Britons don’t feel they spend enough time with their families and friends. The results reveal that, even in a culture which claims to prioritise a healthy work/life balance, British companies are falling short in their efforts.

A third (33.1%) of full-time workers surveyed didn’t feel they spent enough time with their family and friends and cited a busy job and work pressure (83.8%) as the main obstacle. When questioned on the impact this had on their lives, more than a third of full-time workers (34.6%) felt that life was passing them by without enjoyment.

Working long hours also comes with a health warning. There is sufficient evidence for us to be concerned about the potentially negative effects of working long hours on physical health. The strongest evidence probably concerns the links with cardiovascular disorder.

Stress is often the outcome of a work/life imbalance. According to a survey conducted by the National Life Insurance Co., four out of ten employees state that their jobs are ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ stressful. It is clear that problems caused by stress have become a major concern to both employers and employees. 

Symptoms of stress are manifested both physiologically and psychologically. Persistent stress can result in cardiovascular disease, sexual health problems, a weaker immune system and frequent headaches, stiff muscles, or backache. It can also result in poor coping skills, irritability, jumpiness, insecurity, exhaustion, and difficulty concentrating. Stress may also perpetuate or lead to binge eating, smoking, and alcohol consumption.

A survey conducted by Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank found that 44 per cent of workers in the United Kingdom take off fewer days of holiday than they are entitled to. Furthermore, 77 per cent admitted to keeping in touch with work, via email for example, while they are on holiday trying to relax. 

One way of improving employees work/life balance is to ensure that they are able to use all of their holiday allocation effectively throughout the year. If employees were to take holidays throughout the year then it is suggested that employers would reap the benefits of increased productivity, improved recruitment and retention, lower rates of absenteeism, plus a more motivated, satisfied and equitable workforce.

Adventure holidays don’t have to be exotic and expensive. There is plenty to explore in the United Kingdom. I would recommend a trip to Glasbury-on-Wye, the home of ‘Wye Valley Canoes’. 

Wye Valley Canoes offer Canadian canoes, plus single and double kayaks. Perfect for an adventurous day trip with Haye-on-Wye just five miles away or the Boat Inn at Whitney approximately 10 miles away. When you arrive at your destination you can call Wye Valley Canoes who can collect you and bring you back to Glasbury-on-Wye. Day trips from £15 definately won’t break the bank!

More adventurous explorers can camp under the stars and venture further down the Wye, past Hay-On-Wye, Hereford, Ross-On-Wye, Symonds Yat, Monmouth and all the way to Chepstow. There are numerous camp sites or bed and breakfasts if you are looking for added comfort.

The largest event is the Folkestone Triennial which runs until the 14th September. Twenty-two international artists have been commissioned to provide over fifty pieces throughout the town. The works include David Batchelor’s Disco Mecanique (pictured left), Tracey Emin’s bronze castings of baby clothes and, Turner Prize winner, Marl Wallinger’s Folk Stones, a war memorial. The vibrant seaside town is a buzz of activity, especially around the regenerated ‘Creative Quarter’, which boasts many trendy cafes and galleries. Well worth a visit.

Continuing with the arts theme, it would be wrong not to mention the tired seaside resort of Margate. The town may have lost the glamour it used to possess yet there is still boasts plenty of character, especially the blustery sea front and the artistic hub of the town. Until the new gallery opens, the Turner Contemporary, which celebrates the artist’s association with Margate, is housed in the former M&S on the high street. Current works include Walker and Bromwich’s On The Threshold Of A Dream (until September 14), an inflatable work about conflict and escape. Dotted across town is the summer-long installation of local artist Ann Carrington’s Shell Lady sculptures, each named after a famous historic Margate woman.

A short train journey away is the small town of Whitstable. Their biennial event seems on a much smaller scale, yet Ryan Gander’s plasticine animation, with a Richard Briers voiceover, is unsettling and funny, but most compelling is Serena Korda’s Library of Secrets, an interactive work inviting hand-written confessions to be hidden within its books. “None of you know I’m a transsexual,” reads one secreted in What Katy Did. The biennial runs until the 6th July.

Between Folkestone and Margate, Dover and Deal are also worth a visit. Deal’s main attraction, and the heart of all the action, is the seafront. Deal Castle dominates the seafront and it is possible to explore the whole building. Another building on the seafront is the tall and narrow Timeball Tower, with a giant grey ball on its roof. It was built in 1821 to enable communication between ships and the mainland before the age of telephone and radio. From 1853 to 1927 the time ball was raised and dropped at 1pm daily to provide an accurate time check for observers at sea. The tower is now a museum of signalling and precision electrical timekeeping.

The English Heritage recently transformed Peverell’s Tower, the highest point within the walls of Dover Castle, into holiday accommodation. From every window the tower has tremendous views – either of the castle buildings, softly lit at night or, best of all, of the English Channel and the ferries coming and going from the docks. Guests at Peverell’s Tower enjoy free entry to the castle itself (plus unrestricted access to the grounds outside opening hours). This is two attractions in one: an ancient castle with a rich history stretching back beyond Norman times, and an incredible labyrinth of Second World War tunnels.