A consultation looking into long hours working and the way the individual opt-out from the 48-hour working time limit operates in the UK, was launched today by Employment Relations Minister Gerry Sutcliffe.
He said “we are open to ideas on how the operation of the opt-out can be improved – that is why we are seeking views now, so that they can be taken into consideration as we move forward with the European Commission’s review of the Working Time Directive”.
The closing date for the consultation is 22 September 2004.
The CIPD welcomed the consultation paper, which supports the retention of the 48-hour working week opt-out. Recent research shows that employer abuse of the opt-out in the UK is minimal and that most long hours working is the result of choice rather than employer compulsion.
“The best approach to cutting long hours working is to challenge prevailing workplace culture and to promote a restructuring of working time and the way in which people work, for example, by offering flexible working,” said Ben Willmott, CIPD Employee Relations adviser.
Further research, to be published next month, will show that more than three quarters of UK organisations would like to see the flexible working arrangements extended to all workers. This would give workers a high level of choice and involvement over how and how long they work that is essential to staff commitment and productivity, says the CIPD.
The survey of over 750 long hours workers, Calling Time on Working Time?, does not find much evidence of employer abuse of the opt-out clause:
- Over three quarters of staff sign the clause as a result of their own choice rather than any employer pressure. One in five had felt compelled to sign the opt-out by their employer.
- The majority of UK workers (60%) do not actually sign the clause at the same time as signing their employment contracts – a key concern identified by the European Commission in its consultation document earlier this year.
- Just over a third of long hours workers would like to see the opt-out removed.
