Millennium Magazine_4th Ed

I n the United States, working upwards of 55 hours per week can be seen as a point of pride. Working long hours and making sure you are always busy and productive are attitudes that dominate many workplaces in America. Working extra hours is often correlated with higher productivity and higher profits. However, there are several other First World countries with strong economies, such as Germany and France, that do well working fewer hours than Americans. So, what if workers might actually be more productive, happier, and healthier when they work fewer hours, they have more time off and more flexible work schedules? This change in hours could not only benefit employees but employers as well. Workers will likely be less stressed, have a better work-life balance, and be more productive in the hours that they do work. Having sick and stressed out workers is never a good thing for anyone. Working more than 55 hours per week can increase people's chances of developing anxiety, depression, problems sleeping, excessive alcohol consumption and heart disease. Working too many hours a week can leave people with little time to properly take care of their physical and mental health, which can affect their workplace performance and increase health care costs. However, working fewer hours for the same pay, for example, working a four-day instead of five-day week, can help workers maintain a healthy work-life balance. Working a shorter number of hours allows employees to de-stress and stay healthy. People can get more sleep, spend more time with their families, have time to take care of themselves and have fun. Workers who can properly take care of themselves and disconnect from workplace stress also tend to take less sick days. The Case for a Shorter Workweek Research suggests that people are typically only productive for about three hours per day, with the rest of the time spent doing non-work related activities like reading the news or talking with co-workers. However, working fewer hours encourages workers to get things done more efficiently while maintaining productivity. Having extra personal time at the end of the day or an extra day on the weekend can keep workers motivated. When people aren't burnt out and feeling resentful of their jobs, they tend to be happier and more productive. Giving workers more time off with the same amount of pay can also increase their spending potential. They will have time and money to spend on goods and services such as entertainment and food that they might not have otherwise had time for if they were overworked. If people have disposable income andmore time to kill, they are more likely to spend their money and participate more in the economy. A company that can tangibly show that it values its employees and their wellbeing is also a company that can retain good employees. If workers enjoy their jobs and feel valued by their employers, they are more likely to feel a sense of loyalty to their company, stay in those jobs longer and be more productive and hardworking employees. Workers who are overworked and underpaid are more likely to feel like their work isn't valued and therefore work less efficiently and leave the minute a better opportunity arises. A shorter work week can signal to employees that their employer values their time and effort and understands that a healthy work-life balance is of growing importance to today's workers. In turn, this can increase employee loyalty, productivity, workplace happiness and help to reduce worker stress. The idea of working fewer hours for the same pay has already been successfully implemented in businesses around the world, and it's about time America took note. Happy and healthy employees are good for business and the economy.