These are changing times. We live in an age when high quality goods and services are demanded outside of normal working or opening hours.

Competitiveness, flexibility and quality services are key concepts in the organisation of work today – as are job security, job satisfaction and fairness.

The successful employer, private or public, has to deliver on all these. This means

• involving staff in decisions about change
• making sure their needs and aspirations are considered
• winning their commitment to new ways of working.

One of the most essential ingredients in the organisation of work is time:

• when we work
• for how long
• how we balance working time with time outside of work.

These are difficult issues which we have to resolve in the UK:

• British workers work the longest hours in Europe
• stress is the greatest cause of absence from work
• many organisations have not introduced family-friendly working, despite encouragement from government and positive reports from organisations which have.

Family-friendly concerns are not the only consideration – finding the time for learning, or taking part in community life, are equally powerful motivators for balancing life at work with life outside.

The most recent documents available in this 'TUC in action' area are:

Changing Times News - 105 June 2009
TUC Monthly Work/Life Balance

Changing Times News 104 May 2009
TUC Monthly Work/Life Balance

TUC disappointed by failure to end UK's long hours culture
Responding today (Tuesday) to the breakdown of talks between Ministers and MEPs on working time that resulted in the UK keeping its opt-out of the Working Time Directive, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: