Day 180 - 31 Oct 95 - Page 49


     
     1
     2   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  There may not be, you see.  He started off
     3        with "the general pattern".  Yes?
     4        A.  The general pattern would be as the statistics in my
     5        own evidence -- paragraph 21, I believe it was ---
     6
     7   Q.   Yes.
     8        A. -- where we had the rounded up to 38 hour week, 37.7,
     9        1994.
    10
    11   MR. MORRIS:  Sorry.  Maybe I am not asking my questions very
    12        clearly.
    13        A.  I am answering your question in two parts.
    14
    15   Q.   OK.
    16        A.  The general pattern of the working week -- end of
    17        paragraph 21 -- Britain's average working week is 38 hours;
    18        and, across industry, the typical pattern is to achieve an
    19        overtime rate beyond about that figure.  It would be
    20        slightly lower in the public sector, slightly higher in
    21        manufacturing.
    22
    23   Q.   In terms of the number hours where it starts?
    24        A.  Yes.
    25
    26   Q.   What about the rates, the actual percentage?
    27        A.  The usual threshold for overtime is in the window of
    28        37 to 39, and the overtime premium is usually between one
    29        and a quarter and one and a half the basic rate.
    30
    31   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Just pause. (Pause)  Yes.
    32        A.  So, with a pattern of a basic of 37 to 39 and an
    33        overtime usually time and a quarter to time and a half.
    34        Then if you were to look at the Catering Review Group
    35        companies, for example, they would all still, even despite
    36        a wages council abolition, they would tend to have a
    37        full-time week of around 39 hours, and then a time and a
    38        half premium, even though it is now entirely voluntary --
    39        an overtime premium of time and a half, even though it is
    40        now voluntary.
    41
    42   MR. MORRIS:  What is your expert view on overtime payments?
    43        Never mind what the norm is or what the statutory rights
    44        are; what is your view as an expert?
    45        A.  In two parts:  one, overtime should be paid to reward
    46        long hours; that is the kind of affirmative side of
    47        overtime; it should be paid as a reward for excessive
    48        hours.  But, to the negative of that, you would say long
    49        hours should be discouraged, because they are associated --
    50        long hours are associated with high absence rates through 
    51        sickness; they are associated with unsafe working and 
    52        stress, and other factors.  So, you know, I answer that in 
    53        two parts:  one is to reward it; on the other hand, to
    54        discourage it.
    55
    56        Of course, in low paid sectors, the temptation obviously
    57        is, from the employee's perspective, to work that which is
    58        on offer and sometimes without choice.  So you do get long
    59        hours in low paid sectors.
    60

Prev Next Index