A 21-hour working week?

The New Economics Foundation, a left-wing think tank, has called for cuts in the working week from the current average of 37 hours to just 21 hours a week. The policy institute believes that with less time working, employees can benefit in other matters of personal importance such as parenting and socialising.

A report released by the firm states that a reduction in hours would steady unemployment, by being able to offer more workers jobs with less hours, as well as relieving stress by constant over-time shifts, causing divides in society and over-consumption. Although the NEF realise that they would face hard competition, especially from employers, they argue that it is “inevitable” that a shorter working week will be introduced in the future to counter-act the current state of the economy and unemployment – currently set at just under 2.5 million. Presently, with so many workers carrying out full-time shifts, the population of over-worked employees and unemployed individuals are both on the rise – a fact, say the NEF, that is creating a “broken Britain”.

During the recession, working hours fell in several major companies such as Ford, British Airways and BT. A reduction of hours has led to an increase in part-time work – encouraging a larger workforce, yet destroying the full-time job role.

However, the first thing that may come to many people’s minds is that alongside a reduction of hours comes a reduction of wages. The NEF believe that with more free time however, employees can enjoy the finer things in life, as well as having more time to carry out tasks otherwise impossible during longer working weeks.

Anne Coote, joint writer of the report, states that “(people) will have more time to be better parents, better citizens, better carers and better neighbours” by spending more time out of the workplace. Coote also firmly believes that with less time spent working, employees will spend their time working happier, with a severe lack of stress as a result of over-working.

 

The policy’s director, Andrew Simms, stands by Coote’s remarks, stating that “this could be a massive benefit to our economy, our quality of life, and our planet.”

Similar schemes have been introduced in the past in France and Utah, USA, with mixed results. In 2000, France put a limit on the maximum working week to 35 hours, yet in 2008 this limit was lifted to allow employers to enforce longer hours. However, a four-day working week was imposed in Utah with positive results, cutting carbon emissions and creating a more effective, stress-free work force.