South: Pitman Training leads campaign for shorter working week

In a context where most UK-based employees now work an extra day (8.73 hours) every week on top of their contracted hours, and where Brits clock up 66 million overtime hours each week, Pitman Training has launched a campaign to reduce overtime.

Recent studies have shown that working a shorter day may lead to a more productive workforce, particularly if skills are improved. Increasing typing speeds by just 10 wpm, for example, could save a typist a whole working day per week.  

Claire Lister, Pitman Training Group MD, said: "The key to efficiency and a reduction of hours in the working day is to ensure that employees are trained in a variety of skills to ensure they’re working quickly and effectively. Small changes can have a big impact. It might be that emails have taken over our day. It might be that meetings steal time, it might be that we are not equipped for a job."