EAST Lancashire's secretaries are bearing the brunt of the pre-Christmas workload, according to a survey out today.

More than 70 per cent of secretaries interviewed in Lancashire dread the run-up to the festive season and say extra responsibilities, ranging from organising the office party to covering for bosses who spend hours at boozy Christmas lunches, make it the worst time of the year.

But the organisation which represents local business bosses today insisted the days of the long lunch had gone in East Lancashire and secretaries were no busier than anyone else.

Research by Pertemps, one of the country's leading independent recruitment agencies, found:

79 per cent secretaries surveyed in Lancashire were stressed out by extra responsibilities at Christmas.

42 per cent said they were under orders to complete long-running projects before the end of the year, while many had to carry out extra tasks for bosses who were out of the office more than usual.

41 per cent said they resented having to help their boss with Christmas shopping when pressure of time left them unable to do their own, while many felt their bosses had no idea of how much extra work they were being asked to do.

The pressure of trying to complete these extra tasks in the run-up to Christmas left 56 per cent of secretaries unable to manage their usual workload and forced to work overtime. 32 per cent claimed the festive season made their bosses unprofessional, with many of these saying they frequently had to make excuses for bosses who spent excessive time at lunches and were late for meetings.

Christmas was rated the most difficult time of year to balance office and personal life by 78 per cent of respondents. Nearly a third claimed the stress made them more likely to lose their temper with colleagues or make mistakes.

44 per cent of secretaries felt frustrated and panicky about not having time to organise their own festive preparations; while 26 per cent were annoyed that they would be forced to do most of their shopping the weekend before Christmas.

The pressures of work and shopping left 58 per cent of secretaries totally exhausted by the time Christmas arrived, with many claiming they often fell victim to colds and flu at this time of year, as a result of work-related stress. Tim Watts, chairman of Pertemps said: "Many people think businesses wind down in December. However, the festivities bring a host of extra jobs and responsibilities for secretaries who are also under pressure to get long-term projects finished before the end of the year."

But Valerie Miles, company secretary of East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce which represents 1,000 companies, said: "The days of the long boozy lunch are long gone. People can't afford to do that any more and the whole ethos of going for a drink at lunchtime has changed.

"Any major holiday break causes more work but that applies to everyone, not just secretaries. Ask any section of the business community whether they are working hard at this time of the year and they will say 'yes'. It's the nature of the game." Researchers surveyed around 100 secretaries in Lancashire during the autumn.