10 per cent increase in people working more than 48 hours a week in North East

The number of people working excessive hours in the North East has risen by 10 per cent since 2010, according to a new TUC analysis published last week.

The number of employees working more than 48 hours per week in the North East has now reached 112,000 – up by 10,000 since 2010 – following more than a decade of decline in long hours working.

Regularly working more than 48 hours per week is linked to a significantly increased risk of developing heart disease, stress, mental illness, strokes and diabetes. Illnesses caused by excessive working time put extra strain on the health service and the benefits system, as well as impacting on co-workers, friends and relatives. Many people are working unpaid overtime and at least a million report that they want to cut their excessive hours.

UK-wide, those working long hours are still disproportionately men (2,544,000 men compared to 873,000 women in 2015) but the number of women working 48 hour plus weeks has increased by 18 per cent since 2010, compared to a 15 per cent increase in the number of men.

The growth in long hours has impacted differently on various industries. The biggest increases have been in mining and quarrying (64 per cent), agriculture, fishing and forestry (43 per cent), accommodation and food services (36 per cent), health and social work (32 per cent) and education (31 per cent).

Despite a growing workforce, the existing working time rules have helped to reduce long hours from 3.9 million (17 per cent) in Spring 1998 to 3.3 million (13 per cent) in 2007 and 3.0 million (12 per cent) in 2010. But the number has since increased and is back to 3.4 million (13 per cent).

There is now a strong sense that the existing rules are too weak to beat the long-hours culture, leaving too many people stuck working too many hours, with little or no work-life balance - and the very real prospect of making themselves ill in the process.

The government should reassess its negative view of the EU Working Time Directive, which has been brought into UK law and stipulates a 48 hour working week for good reason. Many long hours employees report that they feel pressured to ‘opt-out’ from the 48 hour limit as a condition of employment (individual opt-outs are currently allowed by law).

The sensible option would be to phase out the opt-out caveat over a few years. We need stronger rules around excessive working, not a ‘get-out clause’ for the Working Time Directive. David Cameron will not convince people to vote yes in the EU referendum if all he’s offering is ‘Burnout Britain’.

Beth Farhat

TUC Northern Regional Secretary