Newsletter No. 27
APRIL / MAY 2005
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UK: ‘boss-A-gram’ protests long work hours Britons lose €23bn a year in unpaid overtime, about €4,650 per employee. If people worked all their unpaid overtime at the year’s beginning, they would not be paid till 25 February, according to the United Kingdom’s Trade Union Council. The TUC has now nominated 25 February as work Your Proper hours Day and provided a facility for those working unpaid extra hours to send their bosses an anonymous ‘boss-A-gram’ suggesting they show gratitude for the unpaid overtime (see www.workyourproperhoursday.com). TUC General Secretary, Brendan Barber says of the boss-a-grams: “(It) is a fun way to make a serious point. Too many workplaces are in the grip of a long hours culture. With a bit better organization people could gain extra hours for free time and still get their work done well". The UK has the longest work hours in Europe. Its law against long hours is very weak, most people don’t know the law and it’s not enforced. People are increasingly in white collar jobs where overtime is not paid. Employers expect, and staff give very long hours, creating a ‘long hours culture’. A recent U.K. study, Time, Health and the Family: What Working Families Want records the devastating effect of ‘binge working’ and a long hours culture. This ‘disturbing’ report shows binge-working is creating a nation of workaholics with a disastrous effect on health, family life and work performance. It shows the need to ‘work shorter, leaner hours’ and to make time for our families and communities (see www.workingfamilies.org.uk/). An author of the report states ‘time is up on long hours working’. Instead of leading to an effective workforce, long hours lead to high levels of stress, ill health and decreased morale and productivity. Merely having flexible working policies is insufficient if the dominant culture does not support their meaningful use, in conjunction with a limit on total hours worked (for more, visit the TUC’s online work-life bulletin: www.tuc.org.uk/changingtimes). |