9 to 5? What about 8 till 4, say British workers

Two thirds of British workers would prefer to start and end their working day earlier than the traditional 9am to 5pm, a new survey has found.

YouGov said starting at 8am and finishing at 4pm was the most popular option, chosen by 25% of respondents.

Another 13% said they would prefer to work 8.30am to 4.30pm, while 10% favoured 7am to 3pm.

The polling firm said age and working location were the biggest factors in people's choices.

Nearly one in five people aged 18 to 24 said they wanted to start work after 9am, compared with just 9% of those aged 54 to 65.

More than a quarter of London workers also said they would like to start after 9am, compared with just 12% in the rest of South, and 13% in the North.

YouGov said this may be due to a desire to avoid overcrowding on London's busy public transport system during traditional "rush hours".

The polling firm, which surveyed 1,965 working adults, also said preferences did not appear to be related to being able pick up children from school.

The results echo a survey of 3,000 UK adults, conducted by jobs website Timewise, which found 90% disliked the usual nine-to-five day.

The latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also reveals one in 10 Britons believe they are "overemployed", meaning that they work more hours than they want to.