Work smarter not longer says government
Work smarter not longer says government
Working smarter is key to improving employee satisfaction and productivity, the government has said. Employment minister Gerry Sutcliffe, launching a joint DTI, TUC and CBI guide to tackling Britain's unhealthy long hours culture, said: 'Changing working patterns can benefit everyone - employers, workers and their families. The government is firmly committed to giving people real choice about their working hours to achieve greater work-life balance.' The minister added: 'While regulation has a part to play, creating a culture where we work smarter rather than longer is key to improving worker satisfaction, as well as improving competitiveness, productivity and retaining skilled workers.' Brendan Barber, TUC general secretary, said: 'Lots of organisations have shown that we can beat Britain's long hours culture by working smarter. Unions do believe in proper regulation, but this initiative shows that workplaces can do even better when managers and employees work together.' The report showcases good practice and has been produced as the culmination of a series of nine master classes around the UK, at which 'business champions' have shared their experiences with other employers. However, despite protests from the TUC and mounting medical evidence, the government continues to defend the UK's unhealthy opt-out from Europe's 48-hour working week ceiling (Risks 209). This was introduced Europe-wide in response to clear evidence that long hours were a cause of more accidents and ill-health. A report last month in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine confirmed the detrimental effects (Risks 220).
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