The classic scheme of “from 9 to 6” of the world of work is still valid, although it increasingly coexists with very different working realities. A recent workforce data survey conducted by Amory Gethindes World BankAnd Emmanuel Saezdes University of California at Berkeley (UCLA) shows that the world’s working adult population on average 42 hours per week.
However, this number is hides an enormous diversity: Gender, age and the level of economic development of each country directly influence the number of hours worked, and many jobs no longer conform to the traditional schedule of eight hours a day for five days. Even so, The 40 hours per week continues to be the global reference.
There is a clear difference between the hours a person actually works And the ones that should work. Employment types, income levels and cultural norms vary so much that there is no single answer. In this context, the idea that every employer has about what ““Optimal working week” It says a lot about your leadership style and the organization’s priorities.
Work-life balance
Some bosses focus on the balance between work and private life. A recent study on Gregor Jarosch, Laura Pilossoph and Anthony Swaminathanfrom Duke University, asked workers in three countries what pay cuts – or increases – they would accept in exchange for a change in their work hours. In Germany and the United KingdomA significant proportion of workers would be willing to forego income in exchange for more free time: In the German case, the ideal working week would be in 37 hours.
Instead in USA Many workers prefer to work longer hours if it means they earn more money, a fact that can be interpreted both as a reflection of greater economic insecurity and as a reflection of cultural differences in work.
Productivity: When more work doesn’t bring more
Prioritize other employers productivity. Jarosch and his co-authors argue that a reduction in both the wage bill and the length of the working week in Germany could benefit all parties as long as it starts from one central premise: Working fewer hours can also have a positive impact on employers.
There is evidence to support this idea. John Pencavelfrom Stanford University, analyzed the productivity of British workers which manufactured ammunition during the First World War and drew conclusions from this 48 hours per week, Productivity for each additional hour began to decline. Also: get over it 63 hours It brought no improvements in overall production. Similar patterns occur in less extreme contexts that are perceived, e.g in the typical underperformance of Friday afternoons.
The focus on labor costs and long working hours is seen as synonymous with commitment
From a different perspective, some managers analyze the problem in terms of Cost. An increase in employee hours may be appropriate if those hours add value. There are already fixed costs for existing workers, such as employer contributions. Taking advantage of these benefits by working longer hours can be more efficient than hiring new employees and incurring additional costs.
There is also the focus of Security. Work fatigue can have serious consequences in certain activities. A study of paramedics in Mississippi conducted by Tanguy Brachet and other researchers at consulting firm Charles River Associates showed that toward the end of long shifts, performance in emergency situations declined, with potentially fatal consequences.
The Quality of work It’s another variable. In certain professions, fatigue can be compensated for by the experience gained. A study about Marion Collewetfrom Leiden University and Jan Sauermannfrom the Institute for Labor Market Assessment and Education Policy, analyzed part-time call center workers in the Netherlands. Although the number of calls answered did not increase at the same rate as overtime, there was a slight improvement in service quality, suggesting that accumulated practice can offset the wear and tear.
Finally, there are those who consider it Long working hours are a sign of work ethic. In the startup world, long hours are often seen as necessary to advance nascent projects, although some founders try to maintain this intensity even as companies have grown. As it turns out, it was earlier this year Sergey Brin Google’s artificial intelligence teams would have said that 60 hours per week They represent the optimal point of productivity.
On the same line, Narayana MurthyFounder of Infosys, argues that only with longer working weeks will India achieve prosperity 70 hours. Even in established companies, longer working hours are often associated with better opportunities for advancement: Elon Musk He even stated that “nobody changed the world” with the 40-hour week.
There are of course other possible views: Define the optimal work week based on performance, not hours. Leave regulation to governments or analyze the future impact of artificial intelligence. But beyond the focus, the discussion about how many hours to work not only reflects the culture of the particular country or industry, but also the deep priorities of companies and those who run them.
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