Newsletter No. 28
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2005
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UK: TUC confronts employers’ myths about long hours A 2005 survey of British workers has found more than half suffered burnout over a six month period, because of the increased pace of business life, an increasingly competitive environment and more demands on fewer staff. This affects not only workers but profits. The report noted: “working long hours and being available 24/7 goes with the territory. (Yet) business managers don’t seem able to increase productivity and hold on to top talent at the same time. Increasing absenteeism, premature career change and a decline in interest and productivity among employees can seriously affect long term business success" (‘Burnout hits..UK workers’ 31.5.05) A third of UK workers also claim long hours and stress of workloads stop training or education. UK TUC general secretary Brendan Barber says: “most experts agree one of the biggest brakes on UK productivity is the poor skills of too many in the workforce. Long hours are not a sign of economic success but of badly organised workplaces and tired, inefficient staff". Self-justifying myths employers use to defend long work hours: Long hours are not a health and safety issue! Long hour workers are more prone to heart and other diseases and illnesses. They are more likely to drink, smoke and adopt a poor diet. All who work long hours want to! Most long hour workers would rather limit their hours; but many simply have the boss fix their working time, or get pressed into longer hours. A range of abuses exist, from bureaucratic pressure and office culture to simply being bullied into longer hours. Employers are quite willing to address abuse! British business always opposes TUC proposals to enforce tougher work limits. Employers are just defending a worker’s right to work longer hours! Most long hour workers want shorter work hours — it is employers who press for longer hours. Even if this were not true, long hours undermine health and safety limits and Occupational Health and Safety laws. The economy needs long hours to succeed! Long hours impede productivity as fatigued workers give less output/hour. UK works the longest hours in the ‘EU-15’, but its productivity rates tenth. Small business needs long hours to succeed! Mid-sized firms (50-499 staff) are most likely to push for long hours. Globalisation forces us to work long hours! Competitive advantage lies in ‘high road’ industry and working smart. Relying on long hours is a sign of ‘dumb’ business, wherever it is. Things bosses do not mention: Long hour workplaces exclude women from careers and job equity; adversely effect families; and leave little time for ‘life long learning’, necessary for a knowledge and innovation based society. The UK Labour government recently blocked moves to end Britain’s ‘opt-out’ from the EU’s 48 hour limit on weekly work hours, despite union support for the measure (‘UK stalls progress on working hours limit’). |