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25 February 2005 - Remember Today is Work
Your Proper Hours Day
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The second Work Your Proper Hours Day, organised by the Trades
Union Congress (TUC) takes place today throughout the UK.
The TUC are asking managers to thank their staff by making sure
they only work their contracted hours with correct break times away from their
workstations and to leave work at the correct time today.
The TUC also add, that managers could perhaps show their
appreciation of non-paid work hours, by taking their staff for a coffee or even
a cocktail after hours on this day.
The Work Your Proper Hours Day is intended to be a light-hearted
affair, with "bossograms" being sent to bosses. Light-hearted
placards, leaflets and sandwich boards greeted commuters at Liverpool St Station
from 7.30am to 9.00am this morning. Mr. Brendan Barber, TUC General
Secretary also took part in the venue at Cardiff Central Station this morning.
His comments on the Work Your Proper Hours Day are as follows:
"We all know we work the longest hours in Europe. Work Your
Proper Hours Day is a chance for the white collar workers who do the most unpaid
overtime to take a stand for just one day a year, and point out just how much
modern workplaces are gripped by a long hours culture.
"Today’s campaigning is all very light-hearted. The figures show that managers
themselves often work very long hours. Many of the staff involved have jobs they
enjoy and involve real responsibility. But there is a serious point, and our aim
is that today’s events should make every long hours workplace question their
culture and the way they organise their work.
"The questions they should ask include: Is their more room for flexible working?
Have people just got into the habit of long hours because they think that’s the
only way to get on? Is your workplace culture fair to those with other
commitments such as caring for children or elderly relatives? Are staff getting
burnt out and stressed, with little chance to recharge their batteries?"
We at HSfB would like to point out that today's event is
intended to be of a light-hearted nature and hope that all employers and
employees treat it as such.
The "bossogram" can be accessed throughout the day today by
clicking the following:
Work Your Proper Hours Day bossogram
The unpaid overtime calculator can be accessed by clicking the
following:
Unpaid overtime calculator
Article by Alexandra Johnston
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