Firms ‘want control of working hours’

MOST employers want to retain Britain’s opt-out from a European directive aimed at limiting working hours to 48 a week and warn they would have to hire more staff if it was abolished, new research showed yesterday.

Profits could be hit if the opt-out from the Working Time Directive was ended, according to the report.

A survey of 77 organisations by the Industrial Relations Services Employment Review revealed that half had asked their staff to sign an opt-out from the 48-hour working week.