Long hours are bad news; so who's pushing?

Citation

(1999), "Long hours are bad news; so who's pushing?", Journal of European Industrial Training, Vol. 23 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/jeit.1999.00323gab.015

Long hours are bad news; so who's pushing?

Long hours are bad news; so who's pushing?

Keywords: Working hours, Overtime

Employers who try to circumvent the EU Working Time Directive are avoiding the real issue. Long hours and underlying long hours cultures are bad for business.

According to a report published by the independent Institute for Employment Studies, long hours working is a real business and social problem. Employers can have quality commitment, from employees with balanced lives, and keep productivity high, by breaking the underlying cultures that drive long hours.

British employees work some of the longest hours in Europe. A high proportion of UK workers work more than ten hours over and above their contracted hours. This is not an occasional effort to cope with emergencies or peak periods, but rather a regular event. Employers are recognizing that, although it may be efficient to work long hours in the short term, it is not sustainable to do so in the longer term. So now they must consider how to reduce working hours and tackle long hours cultures.

The drivers for long hours are typically:

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  work pressure from heavier workloads, demanding customers (in particular expectations of 24 hours a day service), greater competition, fewer staff and tighter budgets;

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  individuals feeling a genuine strong commitment towards their work, their colleagues and customers, or clients;

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  long hours cultures whereby long hours are equated with commitment;

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  a need to improve take-home pay, through overtime payments, commission or performance-related pay.

The reasons for working long hours can be complex. Different reasons for working long hours require different solutions. Attempts to address long hours may uncover deeper problems.

From the few examples of employers who have succeeded in tackling long working hours, effective remedial processes are aimed at:

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  changing work patterns- such as annualized hours, revised scheduling and rota schemes, flexible working arrangements and job redesign;

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  changing individual behaviour and company culture- such as training and development programmes to improve time management and delegation, visibly changed top management behaviour and commitment to "go home on time" days to raise awareness of the issue.

Successful interventions include these key aspects:

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  commitment and a sponsorship for change from the very top of the organization;

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  a change agent with influence to champion the intervention and gain support of key people within the organization;

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  managers leading by example;

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  support for staff to help them change their own working pattern and educate them to lead a more balanced life.

Breaking the Long Hours Culture, by J. Kodz, B. Kersley, M. Strebler and S. O'Regan (Report 352, ISBN 1 85184 281 0) can be purchased, price £19.95, from Grantham Book Services Ltd, Isaac Newton Way, Alma Park Industrial Estate, Grantham NG31 9SD. Tel: 01476 541080.