The case for a shorter working week

A shorter working week would to help combat high levels of work-related stress and be good for the economy. While the UK government's new flexible working plan is a welcome move in the right direction, it will still be too easy for employers to block requests.

John Ashton, the President of the UK Faculty of Public Health recently said, "When you look at the way we lead our lives, the stress people are under, the pressure on time and sickness absence, mental health is clearly a major issue. We should be moving towards a four-day week because you've got a proportion of people who are working too hard and a proportion that haven't got jobs. The lunch-hour has gone; people just have a sandwich at their desk and carry on working. So we need a four-day week so that people can enjoy their lives, have more time with their families, and maybe reduce high blood pressure because people might start exercising on that extra day. It would mean that people might smile more and be happier and improve general health."

Britons work some of the longest hours in Europe, which surveys have linked to stress, sleep problems, reduced productivity and the taking of sick leave.

The TUC supports the idea of a four day week while recognising that it wouldn't work for everyone. Frances O'Grady said, "But there's also a growing problem with excessive working hours, with millions of employees under real pressure as they attempt to balance work with their everyday lives. And despite this week's change in the law it's still too easy for employers to block flexible working requests, however nicely a worker asks."

The New Economics Foundation (NEF) has argued the case for a shorter working week since 2010, with their report '21 Hours', and most recently in their book, 'Time on Our Side'. NEF also argues that the benefits extend to the economy and the environment. Many countries with shorter average hours have stronger economies. Workers on shorter hours tend to be more productive hour for hour, and a shorter standard week opens up more opportunities for the jobless to move into employment. They also have a smaller carbon footprint.

Gothenburg in Sweden has announced a one-year experiment with a six-hour day for some of its employees, to see how their performance compares with others on an eight-hour day. In Utah, USA, state employees were given a three-day weekend and most staff felt their morale was higher and their productivity just as good. Even corporate Google allows its staff to use up to one day a week of their paid time to pursue their own interests, recognising that long working hours can severely dampen creativity.

In many jobs, work doesn't stop when the worker leaves the office. France has introduced rules to protect people working in the digital and consultancy sectors from work email outside office hours. The deal signed between employers federations and unions says that employees will have to switch off work phones and avoid looking at work email, while firms cannot pressure staff to check messages. The move follows similar restrictions on out-of-hours email imposed by German firms including Volkswagen, BMW, Puma and the German Labour Ministry.

NEF and the TUC rightly argue that a shorter working week must be done in ways that narrow rather than widen inequalities. A move towards shorter working hours must therefore go hand-in-hand with an assault on low pay. No-one should have to work long, unsocial hours, just to feed and house their families.

In the UK union claims for a shorter working week have gone out of fashion in recent years. Maybe we should look again at working time?

 

Posted with Blogsy