Is It Time for a Shorter Workweek?

The 40-hour workweek and the 9-5 concept are considered the norm in most countries around the world, but now experts are suggesting we should change the time and way we work. A different working schedule may make you productive and satisfied with your job, and even improve the quality of life. So, is it time for a shorter workweek?

Working fewer days will probably make most people happier, but according to researchers, it will also be beneficial for your company. Carlos Slim, Mexican telecom billionaire and the second-richest person in the world, said at a business conference that employees need to shift to a 3-day workweek. It may sound odd, coming from one of the largest employers on Earth, but he explained that not only the workers will have more time to relax and entertain, but their happiness will actually result in better productivity and creativity. These are certainly great improvements that both employees and corporations would welcome. However, Slim also suggested that on these three days, people should work 10 to 11 hours in order to maintain some normal levels of productivity. The idea is also to push the retirement age to 70 or even 75 and solve the labor force crisis many countries are facing today.

Of course, the billionaire didn’t give much explanation, but his radical idea isn’t that new at all. In fact, there has been a huge debate about determining the ideal workweek, and according to most scientists and research papers, the world should shift to a shorter schedule. And this needs to be done as soon as possible – today people retire later in life than they used to, and they are as overworked as never before. In many countries, worker productivity is constantly increasing, while wages are only slightly raised. This leads to overworking, prolonged stress, and poor overall quality of life. According to the OECD, the average employee in Greece works 2,034 hours a year, while in Germany, the annual working hours are 1,397. Guess which country is more productive – Germany of course, with 70% higher productivity rate than South European nation.

The burnout, often caused by stressful jobs combined with the 40-hour workweek, decreases the productivity, which is of course, directly linked with lower revenues for the company. Shorter working hours or workweeks are the perfect solution for people who are dealing with a lot of stress and responsibility at their jobs such as firefighters or surgeons, or people in the creative fields. For an artist, actor, a musician, or even a jewelry maker, the 40-hour week is a mission impossible. Of course, the 4- or 3-day workweek won’t do any good for some industries, but it will certainly improve employees’ health and satisfaction of personal and professional life.

So, the debate is still on, but experts say that governments aren’t likely to make that change, at least in the recent future. The idea still seems to unrealistic and too controversial, but not to scientists – for them, this is how economies will manage to enter the 21st century and solve many employment problems.