Boss of contractor Laing O鈥橰ourke argues for shorter weeks to attract young people into the construction industry

Ray O'Rourke

Ray O鈥橰ourke, chair and chief executive of contractor Laing O鈥橰ourke, has called for firms to move towards 35-hour working weeks to attract more young people into the industry.

Speaking at the Government Construction Summit O鈥橰ourke said: 鈥淭he industry is not a very attractive place to be. It鈥檚 not sustainable to work with the current methods of delivery.鈥�

He argued that a move to greater use of off site construction would make it 鈥渋nevitable鈥� that working weeks would be shortened.

He said: 鈥淵ou would have less demand for hours of work and you would be able to have young people interested in a career.鈥�

Laing O鈥橰ourke has invested millions in a massive off site construction plant in Derbyshire. 鈥淭he approach that we are bringing forward is key to enabling a 35-hour working week,鈥� he said.

O鈥橰ourke also argued that the industry needed  a more collaborative approach to procurement which incentivised all parties to be deliver successful projects ditching the current adversarial atmosphere.

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