Report calls for shorter working week to help ‘exhausted’ staff

A SHORTER working week could help the UK’s “exhausted” workforce and boost the economy, a new report argues.

Think tank Autonomy said its research suggested there was no correlation between long working hours and productivity.

Germany is more productive but workers have fewer hours on average than the UK, while Mexico and Greece are less productive but work significantly more than workers in Britain, the study indicated.

Cutting the working week would also reduce the UK’s carbon footprint through less commuting, said the report.

The think tank made a series of recommendations, including using the public sector as an “innovator” in adopting a shorter working week without a reduction in pay.

An increase in bank holidays from eight to 14, in line with countries such as Malta and Spain, was also suggested.

The report advocates establishing a Ministry of Labour which would oversee a project of achieving a four-day full-time working week by 2025.

Autonomy’s co-director Kyle Lewis said: “There is a growing consensus that shorter working hours – without a loss in pay – should be part of a new economy and a new deal for working Britain.

“From the effects of overwork on our mental and physical health, to the damage that the work-consume cycle does to our environment, governments have to realise that the key to a sustainable future is not more work, but a collective reduction in work.”

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell commented: “This is a vital contribution to the growing debate around free time and reducing the working week.

“With millions saying they would like to work shorter hours, and millions of others without a job or wanting more hours, it’s essential that we consider how we address the problems in the labour market as well as preparing for the future challenges of automation.”