ORGANISATION INTERVENTION 'WORKING HOURS'

Essay by cheekynicki September 2008

download word file, 12 pages 4.0

Organisations may view long hours as a means of getting maximum benefit out of employees however this is not sustainable. Firms must reorganise working patterns away from over-reliance on long hours. This paper discusses the relevance of long hours to today's society and the profound impact it has on both individuals and organisations including reduced productivity and lower quality of work due to the onset of fatigue. Working individuals want more choice and control over their work patterns, the organisational intervention entailed presents ways to reform working patterns whilst providing benefits for businesses, individuals and families, improving work-life balance and having a positive impact on the bottom line (Barber, Cridland & Sutcliffe, 2005).

I.REASON FOR INTERVENTIONThe average weekly hours worked for both full-time workers and part-time workers has increased over the last two decades. Since 1985 working 50 hours or more per week has become increasingly common for full time workers, particularly for males.

In 2005, 30% of men and 16% women working full-time worked 50 hours or more per week. An increase of 8% for men and 9% for women (Trends in Hours Worked). As with the USA and EU member states, long hours work in Australia is concentrated amongst managers. However, it is also to be found amongst trades, sales and operative workers (Kodz et al., 2003).

This data shows that many employees in Australian workplaces are working harder, that is for longer hours and often with greater levels of intensity. This can be attributed to five broad categories. Firstly an individual's workload could cause them to have to work longer hours due to demanding customers, greater competition, heavier workloads, fewer staff and tighter budgets. Increased competition has resulted due to globalisation, with improvements in technology and new policies with regards to international trade, countries now have...