How many hours doyou work per day? Many of us work forty hours a week, but how many of us,whether men or women, have been able to balance between their work and familycommitments? How many of us are satisfied with the number of hours they spendat work?
These questionsare of concern to millions of people around the world today. The discussion onthe subject did not receive much attention from business owners in the pastbecause of the widely spread belief or culture that the employee who spentlonger hours in the office achieves greater productivity. But this idea nolonger seems sound or completely correct, and therefore the idea of reducingthe 40 working hours a week has become a hot topic of debate.
The WorldEconomic Forum was held from 23 to 26 of January 2019 in the Swiss city ofDavos, and focused on the causes and solutions to political, economic andsocial divisions in society. Adam Grant, Psychologist at the Wharton School ofBusiness at the University of Pennsylvania, said that reducing working hoursmakes employees more loyal to their companies, which gives them moreflexibility to take care of their lives outside of work. Economists whoparticipated in the World Economic Forum in Davos advised employers to applythe system four days a week.
However, somebusiness owners fear that reducing workers' hours may create loss of newopportunities for more sales. And in some cases, less working hours could meanless pay because dissatisfied employees may become less productive, and suchconditions creates a poor working environment that affect the business.
The averageworking hours around the world is forty hours per week, but studies showed thatAmericans work longer hours than many people in Europe and Japan, with many USemployees spending 50 hours at work each week. Yet, some American companies andlocal governments are joining other parts of the world in testing whether areduction in the number of weekly work hours can boost employee productivity.International data showed that Mexicans have the most working hours in theworld, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD) figures for 2019.
Reducing workinghours may seem an attractive idea for employees, but it is worrying forbusiness owners, especially those who still believe that the employee's stay inhis office, and perhaps for more than forty hours a week, means achievement andefficiency. But the reality is that there are many employees who spend overtimehours, but they are not financially compensated for it. This is because of thepower and control of the employer, and sometimes because of the employee'skeenness to complete the work without delay.
I believe thatreducing hours in a judicious manner improves the chance of getting the mostout of your employees. Because the longer working hours can increase theworker's stress, and puts him under pressure that reduces productivity.
Organization forEconomic Co-operation and Development (OECD) figures indicate that countrieswith a long working-hour culture often record low rates of productivity and GDPper hour of work. According to the World Economic Forum, academic researchsupports the view that a shorter working week will make people happier and moreproductive. But how many institution is ready to take the lead on that?
By Muna Al-Fuzai
muna@kuwaittimes.net