Employees' increasing workload - characterised by long hours, lengthy commutes and after-hours emailing - has been highlighted as a rising cause for concern and is certainly not conducive to a romantic weeknight.
Research from Regus revealed one in 10 UK office workers puts in more than 11 hours every day, over two-fifths (43%) take work home to complete more than three times per week and over two-thirds (69%) regularly check emails on mobile devices out of working hours - none of which will be endearing on Valentines night. Nearly one in three (27%) say their working "out of hours" has caused serious upset for their partner, family or friends.
Celia Donne, regional director at Regus, said: "Simple measures like giving staff control over their working hours, shortening commute times or allowing employees to work from other locations can significantly improve workforce morale, especially on occasions like Valentine's Day.
Furthermore, the employment market has been changing rapidly in the past few years with more freelance and part-time workers, and this sector is also driving demand for workspaces enabling them to work anytime, anywhere."
Clare Kelliher, professor of work and organisation at Cranfield School of Management, added: "Holiday periods and special occasions such as Valentine's Day are good opportunities to try out new ways of working that foster a better work/life balance. Our research at Cranfield School of Management has shown that work increasingly spills over into non-work lives. Employers, concerned about employee well-being, should help employees find practical ways of dealing with increased workloads, but at the same time maintaining a satisfactory balance between their work and non-work lives.
"One way of dealing with this is to enable more flexible and remote working, where staff can work from home or from a location closer to home. Our study found that staff who work remotely tend to report higher levels of job satisfaction and achieve higher performance levels both because they been able to avoid long or stressful commutes and also because they are removed from the day-to-day distractions of the workplace."
