People in the UK work longer hours and enjoy fewer public holidays than any other country in the European Union. So, what is the British work ethic?

 

Holidays

We have 2 days off for Christmas, 1 day for New Year, 2 days for Easter and about 3 more public holidays (known as Bank Holidays) spread out across the year. Many UK politicians and economists describe this positively, as the ‘protestant work ethic’ that has driven the UK economy to become the fourth largest in the world. Most UK workers are, understandably, less enthusiastic about it.

 

As well as the public holidays we are also entitled to around 20 days’ paid leave (holiday for which we are paid) from our jobs each year, most of which is taken up in the summer, when millions of us fly of to the beaches of southern Europe and recover. This amounts to a total of about 28 days holiday a year.

 

Private or Public?

The work ethic in the UK changes quite a lot, depending on whether you choose to work for private companies (private sector) or for publicly funded organisations such as schools, hospitals and local councils (public sector). The private sector demands much greater commitment and longer hours, fewer days off for personal reasons and less holiday time, but it also promises higher wages than the public sector (although not always).

 

The private sector is where most of the British workforce is based, and it is a fairly competitive place to work. Most people chose to work more than the 37.5 hour week maximum that European Union law dictates, companies get around it by asking you to sign a form stating that you voluntarily choose to opt out of the legislation. A lot of office workers for example will start at 8.30am and finish after 6.00pm. This strong work ethic is part of the British mentality and has been since the 19th century, so although a lot of people complain about struggling to balance their busy lives, you will see that most people are quite ambitious and prepared to do the long hours.

 

In London especially, many office workers choose to miss lunch because they are simply too busy, instead choosing to eat a sandwich at their desks while they work. Taking days off for minor illnesses is frowned upon, with many employers expecting you to come to work with a common cold. The label on Britain’s most popular flu medicine reads: “Stop snivelling and get back to work!” Oh, and being late for work can mean being less than 10 minutes early.

 

The public sector has higher union membership and enjoys much greater benefits for the employer, such as more holidays and better sickness benefits, just normally in return for lower pay than the private sector. However, a lot of people are attracted to the public sector because it can be a step ahead in good practice e.g. helping people who have other commitments, such as children at school. Public sector jobs are more likely to allow flexible hours (flexi-time) and are much more respectful of employees’ rights.

 

Opportunities

The UK continues to attract more people each year than ever before. The wealth of opportunities that have been created by our addiction to long, hard hours has resulted in an economy that is one of the envies of the world, and many people from around the globe are still willing to come and join in the madness, are you?

By John Hillman

 

 

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USEFUL WORDS

‘My name is John Smith.  I manage the One World ethical investment fund.  We follow a very clear code of conduct when we choose stocks.  We only invest in companies that are socially responsible so we don’t put money into tobacco companies or arms manufacturers.  Green issues are very important to us.  We check that our companies are not damaging the environment.  We invest in some companies that make their products in countries where labour is cheaper, and we make sure that they do not exploit their workers.  Some expensive, famous brand clothing is made in sweatshops where people work long hours for very low wages.  We think this is completely unethical.  We expect everyone in this company to behave ethically so we regularly discuss ethical issues with managers and workers.  Last year we put in place an affirmative action programme, which helps us to avoid sexual and racial discrimination.  Many of our employees are green activists - they take direct action on a wide range of environmental issues.  We are proud of our ethical record’.
 

GRAMMAR SPOT

Giving Advice

Informal
It’s time you + past simple

It’s time you adopted an ethical policy in your company.

You’d better not + base form without to

You’d better not exploit your workers.

 
Try + -ing / to + base form
Try writing / to write an ethical code of conduct for employees to follow.

Take my advice and + verb
Take my advice and avoid sweatshops.
If I were you I’d + verb
If I were you I’d avoid possible racial discrimination.

 
More Formal

I would advise you to + verb
I would advise you to follow a clear code of conduct.

I would recommend that you + verb
I would recommend that you start using environmentally friendly cleaning products.

 

I would appreciate some advice on + noun / -ing
I would appreciate some advice on green issues / going green in the workplace.