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Long hours are bad for health and productivity

Issue date

03 Jun 2005

Long hours are bad for health and productivity

Long working hours are damaging the health of UK’s industry and its workforce, new research from TUC has shown. Almost one in three workers - more than 8 million employees - say that long hours or stress have stopped them taking up some training or education in the last three years, according to a poll conducted for the TUC. Commented on the poll findings, TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: 'Employer lobbyists claim that long hours working is essential to business success, but most experts agree that one of the biggest brakes on UK productivity is the poor skills of too many of the workforce.' He added: 'Long hours is not a sign of economic success but badly organised workplaces with tired inefficient staff.' The poll found 29 per cent of the workforce agree that 'My current job has such long hours or so stressful a workload that I do not have the time or energy to take up a course.' This rose to 35 per cent among full time workers. A second TUC report last week rebutted seven myths surrounding the working time directive. According to the report, employers' organisations have wrongly claimed that long hours are not a health and safety issue; that employees are happy to work them; that bosses are simply defending workers' right to work overtime; and that the UK economy - and particularly small business - depends on people putting in extra hours at work. Number 1 on the myths list was the claim that long hours are not a safety issue. The report cited a string of UK and international reports showing higher accident levels and higher rates of heart disease, mental illness, bowel problems and diabetes in those regularly working in excess of 48 hours a week.

TUC news release. Slaying the working time myths report. Reuters. The Guardian plus Polly Toynbee commentary. Sky News. BBC News Online.
Hazards worked to death and getalife webpages.

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