Although many elements of the workplace in Britain are effective, more work definitely needs to be done to come up with a solution to Britain’s long hours culture, according to Secretary of State for Trade and Industry Patricia Hewitt.

Writing in the Financial Times, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry says there is no one single solution to the work-life balance problem in Europe and that regulation is not always the answer.

Hewitt uses the article to support her stance against the long-hours mentality, for which she has recently been criticised in some quarters. She goes on to state that Britain needs to look ahead to plan for the labour market it needs in the next ten years or more, to establish flexibility for those needing to combine responsibilities outside the workplace with their working lives, and also to establish more inclusiveness for those currently finding it difficult to enter or remain in the workplace.

With One in five Britons workimg more than 48 hours a week, and a workforce that is nearly half female, she states that the need to address these sorts of issues is rising higher up employers agendas.