Work Smarter, Not Longer
“[With a 6-hour day,] it is easier to focus more intensely on the work that needs to be done, and you have the stamina to do it and still have energy left when leaving the office."
Many companies have reduced their work hours – either by formally setting shorter in-person shifts or by limiting off-hours communications (texting, emails) – and seen no effects or positive effects on productivity.
This is not something American companies – or even workers – are often comfortable with. We enjoy telling each other how busy we are or how much our company relies on us. But at what long-term cost? Consider physical and mental wellbeing as well as personal and family relationships.
I’m a huge fan of people enjoying their work – but also of people realizing work is just one facet of a healthy lifestyle.
What can you do to improve your workers’ health?
Could you reduce pay in proportion to expected hours of work? How would you handle “crunch times” for projects? (Did you know that “crunch time” is only effective for around two weeks? After that, productivity is actually reduced below pre-crunch levels.)