Were British shipyards working around the clock?

Were British shipyards already working twenty-four hours a day when Sturdee might try to accelerate Repulse?

Generally no. They worked long day shifts, so Sturdee would have to push for genuinely extended or continuous work to shorten Repulse's fitting-out time.

British yards at this stage of the First World War generally worked long daytime hours rather than three eight-hour shifts or two twelve-hour shifts. Continuous operation became more common when the expanding submarine war created urgent demand for escorts. Sturdee could therefore press the Clyde builders to extend work on Repulse, but he would be asking for a real industrial change rather than enforcing an existing schedule. His proximity to Glasgow and preference for inspecting ships would make repeated practical oversight possible. Beatty was more likely to visit company directors than to inspect construction in detail.