The Economist published an study past year providing data that that longer working hours translates into declines in productivity, and by extension, GDP. Maria Bråth, the CEO, says her firm has tracked productivity and found that her team exceeds output when compared to similar tech shops.
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We’re kidding, it comes from a place of envy.
The day when we’re all liberated from the drudgery of working life might seem very (very, very) far away, but a few businesses in Sweden are a step closer to this dream than the rest of us. “To stay focused on a specific work task for eight hours is a huge challenge”. In order to cope, we mix in things and pauses to make the work day more endurable. “At the same time, we are having it hard to manage our private life outside of work”, Mr Feldt said.
Employers have found that by people having more time at home with their family, they come to work happier.
“I can say unequivocally that there’s an overall more optimistic upbeat mood in the company culture and a strong desire to want to work for a company where there are more employee perks, where employees are treated as fellow humans and not just sources of output”.
Sweden has made the change in as many workplaces as possible.
To compensate for a substantially shorter day, employees are not allowed on social media sites, while meetings and other distractions are kept to a minimum.
Shorter days aren’t limited to the tech sector. Prior to making the change, employees reported burnout and customers complained of long wait times. This is not something Sweden has necessarily looked into yet, but the country has made a start by shortening the work day and improving the health and mental wellbeing of employees.
The thinking behind the move is that because the working day has been condensed, staff will be more motivated and have more energy to get more done in a shorter period of time. While the costs were greater, the fact that patients received better care was enough of a reason to continue it. Imagine that.
Gothenburg’s Sahlgrenska University hospital, orthopaedic surgery has moved to a six-hour day, the Guardian reports. When a new political administration took over in 2005, they ended the initiative, citing costs.
A number of companies and local municipalities in the Scandinavian nation have increasingly been experimenting with a six-hour workday. Despite these standard working hours we tend to think that by working longer we will see the benefits later but this rarely works in our favour.
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Science Alert warns that too many people are working 50+ hours every week, despite knowing it is bad for them.
