Workers in the North work harder and for longer than colleagues in other parts of the country, new research has revealed.

A UK at Work report showed 38 per cent of workers in the region put in over 40 hours a week and nearly one in five work more than the 48 hour maximum laid down by the Working Time Directive.

Just over 1 million people in the North (24 per cent) said they did not feel rewarded in any way for their hard work but 55 per cent said they received praise, 40 per cent were given money and 32 per cent were rewarded with a promotion.

The report for Intelligent Finance also revealed good news for employers in the region with people in the North more likely then elsewhere in the UK to be motivated by an inspirational boss, loyalty to their employer and praise and recognition at work.

Northerners were also most likely to be motivated to work hard by having children (51 per cent) or getting married (39 per cent).

Grenville Turner, chief executive for Intelligent Finance, said: "We all work hard for our money, so it makes sense to manage it wisely.

"With all the hours we work, it can be tough to find time to sort out finances but it is worth the effort."

The survey of 1,000 adults aged over 18 also found nearly one in five workers in the North said their hard work prevents them from spending time on their finances even thought 74 per cent were motivated by money.

Workers in the region were also more likely to reward themselves by taking mini breaks (69 per cent), going for a night on the town (70 per cent), eating out (77 per cent) or buying the latest gadget (46 per cent).

They also said they believed they worked harder than their colleagues and their boss but were least likely than those in other parts of the UK to think they worked harder than their friends.

Nationally the survey showed seven out of ten of the working population believed their working hours adversely affects them with almost half of those surveyed revealing time with their partners was detrimentally affected by their working hours.