How office life costs UK workers up to £1,000 a year

UK office workers can expect to spend £1,000 a year on daily expenses such as hot drinks, office parties and gifts for departing colleagues, a new survey says.

Nationwide Current Accounts found office staff are being hit by the likes of charity sponsorship requests, secret Santa presents and tea and coffee runs.

Adding in the cost of professional outfits and nights out with colleagues saw that figure reach £1,000 per year - an eye-watering £40,000 over a 40-year working lifetime.

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However, that "does not include the price of commuting or daily lunches", reports the London Evening Standard. Total Jobs calculates that the average UK employee spends £146 a month on commuting, while a 2014 survey found workers spent an average of £3.69 on lunches, adding on another £77 per month.

Women were more likely to feel pressure to participate in this culture of social spending, Nationwide found, although it was their male colleagues who felt unhappiest about paying out.

Forty-two per cent of men objected to spending at work Christmas parties, compared with 34 per cent of women, The Guardian reports, "but one in five women said they felt under pressure to spend money at Christmas parties, compared with just 12 per cent of men"

Overall, more than a quarter of the workers reported feeling pressured to contribute to their colleagues' charity sponsorships, birthday presents and leaving presents.

Alan Oliver, Nationwide's head of external affairs, said: "Working in an office can be an expensive business, especially in big teams.

"While most people value the camaraderie of working in a team, birthdays, retirements and charity fundraisers can take their toll on our wallets and purses."