Eight out
of 10 staff at manufacturing and distribution companies have opted out of the
48-hour week, according to a new study .
The survey
examined pay, benefits and conditions for 7,760 staff at 21 UK manufacturing
and logistics organisations. It found that a large proportion of employees work
in relatively low paid jobs and may routinely work overtime to boost earnings –
taking them over the 48 hour limit.
Of the
organisations questioned, overtime is paid at all but one of the 32 sites, with
rates ranging from standard base pay rate to three times base pay. The most
common overtime rate is one-and-a-half times base pay.
According
to the William M Mercer survey, two-thirds of the organisations rated pay as
the main factor influencing staff, followed by job security.
