The European Parliament voted to scrap the United Kingdom's opt-out from the 48-hour maximum working week.
Source: Press release 17 December 2008, European Parliament
Links: EP press release | TUC press release | UNISON press release | PCS press release | RCN press release | CBI press release | CIPD press release | IOD press release | NFU press release | Green Party press release | Personnel Today report | FT report | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2008-Dec
A trade union report said that ending the United Kingdom opt-outs from European Union legislation on maximum working hours would cause business little difficulty. Ending the opt-out would also improve the health and safety of long-hours workers and the victims of accidents caused by overtired and stressed workers.
Source: Ending the Opt-outs from the 48 Hour Week: Easy steps to decent working time, Trades Union Congress (020 7467 1294)
Links: Report | TUC press release
Date: 2008-Dec
A survey found 'overwhelming support' for flexible working practices among companies. 86 per cent of business leaders said that their organization operated flexible working practices; and 93 per cent said that they would operate flexible working even if there were no legislative requirement.
Source: Flexible Working: The new world of work, Institute of Directors (020 7766 8866) and Unum
Links: IOD press release
Date: 2008-Jun
A trade union report said that between 2007 and 2008 (first quarters) there had been an increase of 180,000 in the number of people working more than 48 hours a week – following a decline of 3.7 percentage points (707,000), from 3.8 million to 3.1 million, between 1998 and 2006.
Source: The Return of the Long Hours Culture, Trades Union Congress (020 7467 1294)
Links: Report | TUC press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2008-Jun
The government announced that agreement had been reached with other European Union countries under which United Kingdom employers would retain the right to ask employees to work more than 48 hours a week (under arrangements for opting out of the directive on working time).
Source: Press release 10 June 2008, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (020 7215 5000)
Links: DBERR press release | TUC press release (1) | TUC press release (2) | CBI press release | CIPD press release | Green Party press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2008-Jun
A study found that the majority of flexible workers, co-workers of flexible workers, and managers of flexible workers reported that there was either a positive impact or no impact on individual performance. This was true for both the quantity and quality of work produced.
Source: Clare Kelliher and Deirdre Anderson, Flexible Working and Performance, Working Families (020 7253 7243)
Links: Cranfield School of Management press release
Date: 2008-Apr