Work Your Proper Hours Day: Friday 22 Feb

Next Friday 22 February 2008 is “Work Your Proper Hours Day”. Click on the TUC website “Worksmart” to take part in a quiz, rate your work place and download posters.

The serious issue is our “long hour’s culture”, work life balance and risk from excessive occupational stress. However, you can send your boss a secret “boss-a-gram” and describe your experiences on a TUC “rant blog”. On the site you can also check you are paying the correct income tax and national insurance rate and work out how much you should pay into your pension. As well as other interesting stuff.

“Work Your Proper Hours Day (22 Feb 2008) is the day when the average person who does unpaid overtime finishes the unpaid days they do every year, and starts earning for themselves. We think that's a day worth celebrating!"

Nearly five million people in the UK regularly do unpaid overtime, giving their employers an average £4,955 of free work a year. If you're one, why not take some time to reflect on how well (or badly) you're balancing your life?

This is one day in the year to make the most of your own time. Take a proper lunch break and leave work on time to enjoy your Friday evening - You deserve it! "

On the way to discuss the Mortuary.... "Work your Proper Hours Day"

On Friday afternoon I was ironically, on my way to meet a manager and his advisor to discuss a TU safety inspection I had made on Poplar mortuary, when I witnessed the aftermath of this "accident". If you were stuck in a massive traffic jam in East London at this time, then this was the reason. It completely closed off the north bound A102, just before Bow flyover. Hopefully no-one was seriously hurt. I've got a interest since I have a Class 1 HGV licence and use to work as a lorry driver.

I don't know the reason for the crash. It was dry, light with little or no wind.

On Friday it was also "Work Your Proper Hours Day" and I wondered if working excessive hours and tiredness contributed to the accident? It brings home dramatically the dangers of work (and while I'm at it, isn't wrong that the HSE does not count those who are killed at work during road accidents in their figures? What is the difference between an accident in the workplace and on the road?).