Time for quality working hours – not quantity!

Date: Monday 24 October 2005

British workers are still working longer hours than almost every other country in Europe.

That’s the conclusion of a Personnel Today guide about to be published (October 2005) and authored by two of the UK’s leading Working Time Experts, Jim Whittam and Kevin White.

In their detailed One-Stop Guide to Managing Working Time, published by Personnel Today magazine, they warn that companies need to radically rethink the way they treat staff working hours.

Recent research shows that there are still nearly 1.4 million people working over 60 hours a week in Britain, and a ‘long hours’ culture remains in many workplaces.

But Jim Whittam, a director of Working Time Solutions, warns that long hours can send long and short-term absenteeism rates soaring.

Jim said: “Utilisation of overtime and long hours working as a means of achieving capacity and flexibility to meet demand is no longer a successful strategy.

“Employees are more and more interested in work life balance and there is frequently a high price to pay for long hours in other ways such as low productivity, fatigue, accidents and mistakes in the workplace.”

The guide – called The Working Time Guide – includes 10 chapters and highlights challenges facing UK employers such as:

• The 48-hour working week.
• Competition from Eastern Europe and the Far East.
• Employees’ wishes for a greater work/life balance.
• Parents’ rights to request flexible working.

It also gives advice on creative ways to increase productivity and positive solutions such as:

• Annualisation and demand-led work pattern scheduling.

The Guide is being published by Personnel Today as part of its series of One Stop Guides focusing on key employment topics.

Kevin White, co-author, added: “Employers need to be looking at creative and effective ways of motivating the workforce and increasing performance and productivity, rather than simply increasing the workload and working hours of their staff.”

Both authors of the Guide are also directors of Working Time Solutions a Manchester-based consultancy and software house that is a leading authority on labour planning and management.

Don’t miss the special introductory price of £60 plus postage and packing (normally £75). Call 01371 810 433 or complete an Order Form.

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