BBC News Online: Business

Long hours a 'national disgrace'

Working a 48-hour week puts a strain on family life

The long hours culture has been dubbed a "national disgrace" by the Trades Union Congress (TUC).

Managers and professional staff work the longest hours, according to the TUC report released on Monday.

One in 25 men are work at least 60 hours a week, it found.

A total of 350,000 more people are working a 48-hour week compared with a decade ago.

Stress

TUC general secretary John Monks said: "Britain's long-hours culture is a national disgrace.

"It leads to stress, ill health and family strains."

While in the UK workers work an average 43.6 hours the European average is 40.3.

In France the average is just 38.9 hours.

This is despite the European Working Time Directive of 1998 which introduced a 48-hour working week limit.

Certain occupations were exempt, including the media and healthcare.

Opt-out clause

The UK also has an opt-out to allow employers to work longer hours if they want to.

But the business group, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) wants workers to continue to have the choice.

Mr Monks said: "Half the country is caught in a vicious circle of low pay, low productivity and long hours, with the other half trapped in their offices and battling ever growing in-trays.

"Other countries produce more, earn more and work far shorter hours.

"We should, and can, do the same if employers, unions and government work together."

His view was echoed by Mary MacLeod, chief executive of the National Family and Parenting Institute.

But she continued: "Parents in the UK are having to work the longest hours in Europe to make ends meet, returning home stressed and exhausted."

The CBI's deputy director general John Cridland said: "Managerial workers often work longer hours because they want to.

"Operational staff often work longer hours because they are paid for it.

"Neither group will thank the Government for intervening. They don't want a nanny state."