IT contractors in fixed-fee contracts could find business pressures are making them work more and more hours.

The situation is particularly relevant to those UIT contractors working for small and medium-sized businesses, as these have really had their resources stretched during the downturn, according to Phil Flaxton, chief executive of Work Wise UK.

It is no longer uncommon for people in some sectors to be regularly exceeding a 50-hour week, Mr Flaxton added.

In addition, some employers may be using such harsh tactics as a method of wriggling out of employment contracts.

"With the cost of redundancy being as expensive as it is in many cases, I'm sure there are unscrupulous employers out there that would put undue and unlawful pressure on staff which would cause them to react in that way," he added.

According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, the number of people in work jumped by 184,000 in the three months to June.

However, this included a record number of part-time workers, who now number 7.84 million.