UK firms are set to lose *£18 billion in productivity over the next six months as workers struggle with the dark afternoons

With UK clocks moving back one hour on Sunday marking the end of British Summer Time (BST), UK firms are set to lose *£18 billion in productivity over the next six months as workers struggle with the dark afternoons.Professor Jo Silvester, Director Centre of Performance at Work, City University London, comments: “A creative working environment is important for employees and the profitability of any organisation”.

Research by GyroHSR shows that £165 million a day is lost through reduced productivity as sixty five per cent of UK employees find working difficult once Daylight Saving Hours begin.
The study reveals the average UK worker loses up to one hundred hours over the six month period in lapsed concentration and general demotivation; equating to half a working day every week (three and three quarter hours).
Richard Perry, chief operating officer of GyroHSR, says: “Working in a vibrant and creative industry we have noticed that productivity levels are higher when it is light outside. We are creating the best possible working environment for our employees to produce the best work for our clients, the results of this survey demonstrate a need for UK businesses to reconsider the conventional working model. One of these solutions we are considering is to offer our employees flexible working times across the winter.”

Continued Perry, “The purpose of GyroHSR conducting this research is to urge the new Government to conduct a formal review of the impact daylight savings has on businesses. We fully recognise the importance the hour change plays to the farming community and child road safety. But we also recognise the damaging affect it has on UK Plc.”

“Following the public sector spending cuts announced last week the Government is calling on private sector businesses to help generate more jobs and more revenue. The effects of daylight saving therefore need to be addressed by employers and parliament. If private businesses are expected to help grow the economy and maximise efficiency, we would urge for combative practices, such as flexitime and broader flexible working practices, to be put nearer the top of the agenda to help the workforce be at their most productive during the darker months.”

*Research was conducted through One Poll with 3,000 respondents in October 2010, 65 per cent of population wasted on average 45 minutes a day during GMT.

Additional ONS statistics number of people working in the UK is 28,926,000, average weekly salary is £451.