Mon, 10 Jan 2011
When running a business, it should not be forgotten that a happy workforce is one that is productive, it has been suggested.
A contented workforce during a recession should act as a barrier to low morale impacting upon the performance of a firm, Phil Flaxton, chief executive of Work Wise UK, said.
Employee commitment is "very valuable" when it comes to running a business, he stated, adding it is a difficult balance to maintain morale and productivity when Britain has longer working hours than its continental neighbours.
"We have this culture of always being at your desk, doing unpaid hours and not having a lunch break. We are just compliant, it is how we manage people in the UK," Mr Flaxton said.
One way that those running a business could increase employee productivity is to embrace remote working, with technology allowing individuals to work outside of the office.
This could prove essential to those with children or who need to work around outside appointments.
Furthermore, remote working can help keep productivity up during periods of high sickness rates, or, as recently seen, severe weather.
"Technology, I feel, is at the heart of changing working practices. In my view broadband and mobile has made many of us much more transient and mobile," Mr Flaxton added.
It would appear the hours the UK workforce puts in could continue to be the longest in continental Europe.
The European Union tried to take away the right of UK workers to opt out of the 48-hour working week limit enshrined under the Working Time Directive.
However, the British Retail Consortium said the opt-out - which means individuals sign away their right to work no more than 48 hours a week - is important for helping businesses recover from the economic downturn.
As technologies advance, the approach to training evolves too. Read some of our forward thinking, and look at how and where learndirect is taking digital learning.
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The learndirect team