Ireland
Additional unpaid working time introduced as an austerity measure eight years ago continues to be a drain on morale and productivity across the civil and public service. That’s according to a report by the public service committee of the ICTU confederation. The report says the additional hours fall hardest on women, and are counterproductive in terms of service delivery and productivity. They remain “a deep and primary industrial relations grievance” among public servants, it says. In particular, the report argues not only that It has never been correct to assume that increased working time equals increased productivity but that a temporary reduction of the working day to seven hours from 7.24 during the Covid-19 pandemic, largely to facilitate social distancing led to productivity levels reaching an all-time high.
