Challenging the myths on working time

As the TUC ëWork Your Proper Hours Dayí approaches the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) today challenges the myths on working time. It can just as easily be argued that the UK has a short hours working culture as a long hours culture according to the CIPD. While there are more people who work over 48 hours in the UK than in other EU countries, just over a quarter of the workforce in the UK work fewer than 30 hours a week ñ a far greater proportion than their continental counterparts.

Other facts that often get overlooked in the debate over working time is that the average working hours for full-time workers in the UK are actually falling and CIPDís survey, ëWorking Time Regulations: Calling Time on Working Time, found three-quarters of long-hours workers do so out of choice.

CIPD research also shows that nearly a quarter of workers who work more than 48 hours a week do so for financial reasons ñ one of the concerns associated with removing the Working Time Regulations opt-out clause is that it would increase moonlighting with employees forced to take up a second job if overtime is curtailed.

Ben Willmott, CIPD Employee Relations Adviser, says, ìThe CIPD is opposed to long hours working and wants to see greater flexibility at work to help individuals balance their work and home lives more effectively. However, we donít believe that a statutory restriction on working time through the removal of the Working Time Regulations opt-out clause is the best way of achieving this.

ìThe CIPD position is that the best approach to cutting long hours working is to challenge prevailing workplace culture. Employers should look at restructuring working time and offering flexible working to change the way in which people work. This approach, combined with improved performance management, can effectively shift the focus away from merely time spent at work and on to individual outputs instead.î

Willmott points out that France is in the process of effectively phasing out its statutory 35-hour maximum working week because of concerns that it has proved an added drag on their economy, damaging competitiveness and contributing to high levels of unemployment.

ìThe tight labour market in the UK and demographic changes will put further pressure on employers to embrace the work-life balance agenda. It is this business necessity to become an employer of choice in a competitive labour market which will increasingly encourage organisations to curtail long-hours working and embrace greater flexibility,î adds Willmott.