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Working week shortens by six minutes

Published On 19 January 2007 at 09:53:25

Employees are spending less time at work, official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show.

Despite complaints about a long-hours culture, the average working week has in fact shrunk over the past 15 years.

From September to November 2006, the average employee spent 31.9 hours at work, six minutes less than in the previous quarter.

This compares to 33.2 hours a week spent at work in 1992.

However, it is thought that this trend is due to the number of people, notably women and older workers, taking part-time positions.

The average male employee spends 36.6 hours at work, compared to 26.5 hours for women.

Despite the slight fall, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) warns that many employees are "trapped" in long-hours positions, with a significant number continuing to work excessively long hours.

Nearly three in ten men work at least 45 hours a week, a slight fall since 1992, but more women are working longer hours, with one in eleven putting in 45 hours a week.

The TUC is campaigning for an end to Britain's opt-out from the European Union's 48-hour working week directive.

 

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