HR Industry News

Ceridian supports Work Your Proper Hours day

— 19 February 2008 —

The Trades Union Congress is encouraging employers to recognise staff for for unpaid overtime at work, and has named Friday 22 February ‘Work Your Proper Hours Day’. 

According to the TUC, if employees did all their unpaid overtime at the start of the year, 22 February would be the first day they would get paid. The organisation is recommending that employers use Friday to thank their staff for all the extra time they put in at work, and to ensure they take a proper lunch break and leave work on time.

Meanwhile, data released today by the Chartered Management Institute suggests that UK managers are putting in too many hours, for too few returns.  The figures, which come from a report looking at the ‘Quality of Working Life’ in the UK, have been issued in support of the TUC’s ‘Work Your Proper Hours’ campaign.

Based on the views of 1,511 managers, the report indicates that efforts to reduce working hours in recent years have failed to have a positive impact.

Analysis of the data, published in association with Simplyhealth, shows that the average manager only takes 3.5 days absence each year.  It means that for every day lost to illness, the average manager provides almost 11.5 days ‘free of charge’ to their employer.

The ‘Quality of Working Life’ report also indicates that Britain’s long-hours culture is not down to over-bearing bosses.  Asked why they worked over contract, only 2 per cent claimed to be ‘pressurised to do it’ and just 3 per cent suggested it was ‘to get ahead’.

Looking at those in full-time employment, the report also shows that women are more able to control their workload. Only 16 per cent of women, compared to 35 per cent of men, work over 48 hours per week and just 3 per cent of female respondents admitted to working in excess of 60 hours each week, compared to 7 per cent of men.

Ceridian’s Senior HR Business Partner, Elanie Kruger, says the company fully supports the TUC’s initiative.

Ceridian has intervened in a number of situations where employees have worked excessive hours. We believe that in order for a workforce to sustain a high performance record, the employees need to maintain a healthy work-life balance, taking breaks where necessary, and minimising the strain caused by working too much overtime. Elanie Kruger, Senior HR Business Partner, Ceridian UK Ltd.

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