Just as we were beginning to think that tales of the credit crunch was mere tabloid-peddled fiction comes the warning that the harsh economic climate is forcing more employees to work excessive hours. The TUC has found that the number of people working over 48 hours a week increased by 180,000 in the first quarter of 2008. Of those, the biggest increases were in the east of England and London, where more than 15% of employees average over 48 hours a week. Staff in finance, retail, public administration and construction were the most likely to work excessive hours. (We admit, this isn’t the most optimistic item but at least we’re keeping it real)