Unsurprisingly, the proposed European Union working time directive has become a hotly debated issue for the UK construction industry.

The directive, which recommends reducing the working week to 48 hours, certainly provides food for thought in a sector that claims 16% of the nation鈥檚 suicides. This grim statistic must be attributed in part to the industry鈥檚 long hours and stressful deadlines.

But there is scope for change. Despite initial reservations that it couldn鈥檛 be done, our company embarked on a pilot work鈥搇ife balance project that introduced weekday-only working and two shifts. This meant that staff worked an average 10-hour day, five days a week. By working closely with clients, contractors and suppliers we achieved a less stressful,

shorter-hour environment that gave people back their lives. Moreover, the project was delivered on time and on budget.

While debate surrounding the government鈥檚 efforts to maintain the 48-hour week opt-out is important, we should not ignore the fact that our industry needs to look at alternatives to its working practices so that we can alleviate some of the strain.

Chris Bock, director, ISG InteriorExterior

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