Comments due Oct. 9, 2015
Despite research telling us it’s a really bad idea, many of us end up working 50-hour weeks or more because we think we’ll get more done and reap the benefits later. And according to a study published last month involving 600,000 people, those of us who clock up a 55-hour week will have a 33 percent greater risk of having a stroke than those who maintain a 35- to 40-hour week.
With this in mind, Sweden is moving towards a standard 6-hour work day, with businesses across the country having already implemented the change, and a retirement home embarking on a year-long experiment to compare the costs and benefits of a shorter working day.
"I think the 8-hour work day is not as effective as one would think. To stay focused on a specific work task for 8 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," Linus Feldt, CEO of Stockholm-based app developer Filimundus, told Adele Peters at Fast Company.
Filimundus switched to a 6-hour day last year, and Feldt says their staff haven't looked back. "We want to spend more time with our families, we want to learn new things or exercise more. I wanted to see if there could be a way to mix these things,"he said.
To cope with the significant cut in working hours, Feldt says staff are asked to stay off social media and other distractions while at work and meetings are kept to a minimum. "My impression now is that 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," he told Fast Company.
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. Feldt reports that not only has productivity stayed the same, there are less staff conflicts because people are happier and better rested.
No doubt Filimundus was looking at the several Toyota service centres in Gothenburg, which switched to a six-hour day 13 years ago and report happier staff, a lower turnover rate, and ease in enticing new employees to come on board. "They have a shorter travel time to work, there is more efficient use of the machines and lower capital costs - everyone is happy," the managing director Martin Banck told David Crouch at The Guardian, adding that profits have risen by 25 percent.
Back in February, a Svartedalens retirement home in Gothenburg implemented a 6-hour work day for their nurses with no changes to wage, and will be running the experiment till the end of 2016 to figure out if the high cost of hiring 14 new staff members to cover the lost hours is worth the improvements to patient care and employee morale.
"The Svartedalens experiment is inspiring others around Sweden: at Gothenburg’s Sahlgrenska University hospital, orthopaedic surgery has moved to a 6-hour day, as have doctors and nurses in two hospital departments in Umeå to the north," The Guardian reports.
While impressions of staff being happier and full of energy aren’t exactly scientific basis for declaring 6-hour work days as 'better' than the 8.7-hour work day endured by the average American, we do have evidence that what we’re doing right now isn’t working.
A study published in The Lancet last month analysed data from 25 studies that monitored health of over 600,000 people from the US, Europe, and Australia for up to 8.5 years found that people who worked 55 hours a week had a 33 percent greater risk of having a stroke than people who worked a 35 - 40 hour week, and a 13 percent increased risk of developing coronary heart disease, while a separate study found that working 49-hour weeks was associated with lower mental health, particularly in women.
And as we reported earlier this month, we probably shouldn’t even be forced to clock on at 9am anyway, with expert Paul Kelley from Oxford University’s Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute saying that society is in the midst of a sleep-deprivation crisis, because our 9-5 working hours are at odds with our internal body clocks. "Staff should start at 10am… Staff are usually sleep-deprived," Kelley said. "Everybody is suffering and they don’t have to. We cannot change out 24-hour rhythms."
Hear that? Everybody is suffering and we don't have to. I guess until the rest of the world catches up with Sweden - which btw is also making moves to become the world's first fossil fuel-free nation - we'll all just have to move there.
21 comments:
I like this blog post a lot! I feel as if Americans work so so hard in order to keep up with the big "American Dream". New York, for instance, holds some of the highest property taxes and people feel the need to work longer and harder hours in order to be successful enough to pay off those taxes and still live well above average. There is no doubt that a 9-5 work shift can be exhausting especially for people in stressful job fields, and there also is no doubt that MANY people work well over 60 hours a week. This clearly isn't healthy and we clearly need to follow Sweden's way of doing this, if not, like you said, lets just move there! i heard it's beautiful!
According to this article, an eight hour work day is not efficient and unhealthy. This article argues that a six hour work day would be preferable. This statement is valid in that there are many benefits to a six hour work day. Employees would have more time to exercise and spend time with family. Employees are happier and well rested so productivity will rise, the turnover rate will decrease, and travel time will be cut. Most importantly, employees will be healthier because less work means decreased chance of having a stroke, decreased risk of coronary heart disease, and better mental health. Hopefully, a six hour work day will be implemented in America one day.
I really enjoyed reading this post because it was interesting to me that some companies have shortened their 9-5 work day and achieved better results. Another thing about this post that I enjoyed so much was how it made me think. To me, the goal should be working a job you love, so the hours you put into it wouldn't make or break the morale of the staff because you love it but on the other hand I do agree that working all the time, and working such long days does have a major impact on ones performance, so cutting down 2 hours to spend with family or exercising is a beneficial. Like said above this post really was interesting to me because of the way it made me think, it also reminded me of this quote I once saw,'Happiness is the key to success.' The happier the staff the better work performance they'll have, ensuring success within the company.
-Eva Hart
I believe this situation is different for many people. Usually the people who are working 9 to 5 and have to clock in aren't making the top 1% of salaries in the United States. A lot of people are commision-based and make their own hours. That 33% risk of having a stroke or a heart condition isn't much of an issue if you're working 50 to 60 hours per week making your own hours but making half a million dollars.
This article talks about how Sweden has a 6 hour work day, and how it was a lot more successful than the normal 9-5 work day. The people that lock up to 55-hour work week are at a 33 percent greater risk for stroke, and can also be associated with coronary heart disease, and lower mental health. Cutting down the 8 hour work day can make workers more motivated to get their job done in a shorter period of time, it can lead to a happier and more energetic workplace. I think that America should follow in Sweden's footsteps because it obviously had a positive effect on the employees and the workplace.
-Savanah Catucci
Although I agree with the article in that work days should be shortened and that it can increase both productivity and the happiness of workers. That being said I believe there are certain sectors of the market in which a shortened work day will not be helpful. For example the article mentioned a hospital that shortened their work day; I don't believe that this is acceptable because healthcare is a sector that cannot afford minimizing efforts. All in all this article brings up a very interesting point and the United States should definitely start moving towards a work system with shorter work days.
-Ari Hymowitz
According to the article, 6 hour work days are being implemented across businesses in Sweden. As a result, businesses are showing increases in both profits and employee morale. One company even reported a 25% increase in profits. This is extremely interesting considering that the average American works 9 to 5 and is still having trouble accomplishing daily tasks. Businesses in Sweden are accomplishing more in less time by avoiding social media breaks and keeping meetings to a minimum. I feel that changing to a 6 hour work day is a risky move but it seems to be paying off in Sweden. Hopefully American businesses can test this theory and if it works, implement it across businesses here.
- Hernan Gallego
I agree with most of the article, but you still have to take into consideration Sweden is much different from the United States. Sweden is Socialist with a market economy that has a great deal of government control. The United States has the same Market economy only with a Capitalist approach. Toyota allowed their Swedish car dealerships to work 6 hours a day, because there wouldn't be that much repercussion in the Swedish Market. If the United States were to implement a 6 hour work day it would have to be in every corporation and job. If individual companies were to enforce a 6 hour work day their competitors may take advantage and overtake the company in the market.
-Banyan McGuire
It is a very interesting article and it is crazy how all of Sweden is moving towards that six hour work day. Also the research being done by the retirement home will definitely provide an abundance of knowledge about the effect of a 6 hour work day. It is an interesting statistic that those who work 55 hours have a 33% greater risk of having a stroke. Hear in the United States we should also try and limit the number of hours employees are forced to work. With that being said, also it would be interesting if businesses made the move to start having employees clock in at 10 am when they are more awake and examine productivity. It was very fascinating how Toyota over in Sweden switched to 6 hours over 13 years ago and saw an increase in revenue. Overall I think a move to 6 hour work days would be beneficial , but could take a while to make its way here.
-Morgan Ward
A 6 hour work day a dream that most american 9-5 job workers wish came true. I find it great that Sweden is being innovative and progressive taking the steps to making the work day 6 hours. Because I believe once they break the ice this will spread worldwide and start a trend of countries changing to a 6 hour work day. A 6 hour work day would not only benefits an employees health but their productivity thus improving a businesses efficiency and bring in more money. I believe a 6 hour work day would only have positive benefits and help the American people.
-Michael McGuire
I feel that this is an innovative way of thinking when it comes to the work week. Haveing the short work day will and is already proving to be better for the work place. Employees are more focused and happier to work, which caused an increase in efficiency. Some saw a 25% percent increase in profit. Im sure with further research all companies will try to trade over to 6- hour work days.
Honestly I believe that a 6 hour work week would greatly benefit everyone who works a normal job in todays age. Less work equals more sleep and more sleep makes people more productive. It could even be a great incentive to focus more at work and get your work done, using time more wisely. It already has been proven that three hour classes in college are much harder to stay on task in than a forty minute class. That is basically a work day on a smaller scale. Employers are probably going to be reluctant because they think it would make them lose money but in reality it would make them better as a whole.
Justin Grossmann
In my opinion a six hour work day sounds so much better than 8. I worked a summer job in the Town of Cortlandt from 7 in the morning till 3:30 in the afternoon, 5 days a week. I had no motivation to do anything when I would get home and I would basically sleep till about 8 or 9 at night. Then of course not being able to sleep for the rest of the night. Working diligently for six hours instead of moping around for 8 would benefit companies all around. More work would get done in a shorter amount of time and employees can go home and do as they please. There would be only positive benefits of a shorter work day.
-Mike Perrone
This article is very interesting and brings up many points that can change the workforce. From experience eight-hour shifts are not what you want to do five days a week. These eight-hour shifts are very tiring and seem to drag. I feel that the six-hour shifts may be more beneficial for several reason but also harmful as well. These six-hour shifts can allow an individual to catch up on sleep and be more awake and interactive for their shift instead of being miserable. The article says that turn over has increased but I feel that there may be mistakes within the fine print due to crammed hours. All in all I thought the article was great and I am in favor for the six-hour shifts as long as the employer works successfully for their reward of the cut in hours.
Vincent Vasheo
In my opinion 8 hours of work a day is too much, and to do 5 days a week is just absurd. I have that experience 4 days a week and it is not fun. 6 hours a day would be so much stressless and it would help people out more, maybe you would be working a little harder but it would make time move so much faster. Denmark is the happiest country in the world today and a full time job there is considered 30 hours a week. Thats 6 hours a day, which just shows that life would be much easier if it was like that in America.This article is interesting and it should go viral so that people can see how much easier life will be for them.
This article talks about the benefits of having six hour work day rather than longer. A study was shown that people who work 55 - hours a week will have a 33 percent greater risk of having stroke than those who maintain a 35 to 40 hours a week. Sweden is now moving towards a standard 6 hour work day. I think having a shorter day comes with many benefits, even more time for yourself. People seem more happier and able to get more work done. With employees that are more focused to work it causes an increase in efficiency and better health.
- Marchelle Correa
Reducing the work day from approximately 8 hours to 6 hours would be beneficial to the workplace and individuals. The workers have more time to spend with family or catching up on sleep with a shorter work day. Also, with less hours a day, workers are more motivated to get more work done in that amount of time rather than losing motivation. A person who works a 55 hour week has a 33% greater risk of having a stroke and a 13% greater risk of heart disease. It is proven at the Toyota in Gothenburg, that switched to a 6 hour work day 13 years ago, that the staff's attitude and motivation along with the company's profits increased. I think America should consider the switch to a shorter work day in the future.
Sabrina Ruggiero
I found this blog post very interesting. Two hours of productive work will always be better than 4 of unproductive slow work. Just as Adele Peters stated Staying focused on task for such a long interval of time as it is the common work schedule of 8 hours can be a very hard task to achieve. Reducing work hours for employers would be beneficial for both parties meaning employer and employee, the employer would get a happier more productive and energized employer and the employee would feel better having more time to spend with the family or overall just leaving work to decrease his or her stress level. Sweden its a very strong model of economics so if it has given good results for them I believe the 6 hour work day ideas should be looked into.
Pablo Villacis
Changing the work day from 8 hours to 6 hours would be a significant change. I agree that the staff would be much happier and get more work done during this 6 hour period. The staff will also have time to enjoy their own life and spend time with their families. The only part of this article I didn't agree with is the wage difference. The article spoke of nurses who changed to this 6 hour work day and didn't receive a difference in pay. People grow accustom to the amount of money they make so to decrease the salaries or hourly pay of employees could possibly result in dissatisfaction and not happiness.
-Diamond Melhado
This was very interesting to read, the title alone caught everyones attention. For those of us who work or go to school for 8 hours, the time can take its toll on our efficiency at what we are trying to get done. Cutting the hours could maybe improve this area. However when we get used to the 6 hour work day, will we just fall into the same spiral? I'm not quite sure how effective it would be in practice here in America but if it works, it would be very nice. However the matter of pay and overtime would have to be worked out of course. Some of us need to work the full 8 hours if not more to make a life's living or to satisfy our needs. I think that in theory this could work here but I'm not sure how well it could be executed. Some doubt in my mind builds when i see people getting out so early. That 2 hour difference could ruin us. Or on the bright side could increase our happiness and motivation. But deep inside I just don't believe it's what we need. Good for Sweden but not sure about us.
-Alberto Monges
I found it very interesting that Sweden is adopting these new policies. It is compelling to see that shorter work days and more leisure activity has lead to an increase in productivity. In the United States where production is rather suffering and sleep deprivation is at perhaps an all time high suggests that we should make a change. It is clear to see that Sweden is leading and innovating he work place. Steering away from traditional means of work and moving forward into a world where motivation is key to the best work. I've always been a believe in quality over quantity and Sweden has done exactly that. I think it's obvious that we should also change as a country. In addition to changing the work environment Sweden is working to become the first fossil fuel free nation, indicating that they are on a path of new ways of thinking. A country like the United States who is also supposed to be an innovating country should look into adopting these policies. I think it will be a strong decision in making our employees happier and more productive at work.
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