10 Reasons Why We Should Work 6 Hours A Day, According To Science
There is an intense debate on whether it is better to work 6 hours a day or 8 as in most companies While some companies disagree, others implement policies that aim to reduce workers’ time in the workplace.
Live to work or work to live? That is the question.
However, What are the advantages of working 6 hours a day? In the following lines you can find the answer to this question.
1. Greater productivity
Although not everyone agrees that there are numerous benefits to working 6 hours, some researchers have proven that there are. A study carried out in Sweden, which lasted approximately one year, concluded this.
A group of nurses from the Svarte Dalens retirement home participated in it, who worked for 6 hours with a salary of 8 hours. The results were clear, working that number of hours increases productivity and, therefore, improvements occur in objectives of the company
2. Decrease in stress levels
The same Swedish study, which was carried out in February 2015, also showed that 6 hours of work improves workers’ well-being, and makes them perceive the work environment as healthier.
There are many investigations that have shown that Stress levels decrease during 6-hour work shifts , and in the case of the Swedish experiment, it showed improvements in the care that nurses gave to their patients. In other jobs, and as I mentioned in the previous point, the economic results of companies improve.
Work is a very important aspect of our lives, and being unwell at work will have repercussions on a person’s general well-being and daily life.
Another Swedish study that was carried out in Gothenburg and lasted two years concluded that workers Not only were they happier at work, but they were also happier outside of it The benefits of six-hour work shifts are undoubted for employees.
4. Fewer absences
Working six hours a day reduces the chances of getting sick and, therefore, being absent from work, according to research carried out at the Svarte Dalens retreat. Absences cost companies a lot of money, so six-hour shifts represent savings for them.
According to the study “Information on National Occupational Accidents and Illnesses of the Mexican Social Security Institute that was carried out between 2003-2012, Work stress is the most common reason for unjustified absenteeism As I said before, it is reduced with six-hour shifts.
5. Reduce work presenteeism
There is often a lot of talk about work absenteeism, but an opposite phenomenon that causes the same damage to the company is work presenteeism. Presenteeism at work refers to being at work but not working, that is, letting the hours pass. Something that not only affects the company’s results, but also worker well-being also suffers
In cases where workplace presenteeism occurs, workers are at their workplace; However, they perform other tasks: connect to social networks, consult web pages, make calls, etc. Scientific studies suggest that six-hour shifts significantly reduce workplace presenteeism.
If you want to know more about this phenomenon, you can learn more in this article: “Presenteeism at work: causes and consequences of this phenomenon”
By working fewer hours, people have more time to spend with family and leisure time Additionally, a 6-hour schedule generally refers to an intensive shift, so the person maximizes their work in that time. Being able to balance work life with family life makes people happier.
7. Lower unemployment
Reducing one worker’s hours means there is more time to hire another worker and increase the workforce, so other workers can benefit from it. Juan Armando Corbin, organizational psychologist, states that “6-hour shifts allow paid work time to be redistributed more uniformly in the entire population.”
8. More time to train and educate
There is a lot of competition in the work environment today, so continuous training is beneficial for the worker since it allows him to stay up to date. Having well-trained workers is also important for the company, which benefits from their knowledge. Working fewer hours allows workers to have fewer hours to train.
9. Happier customers
Working six hours a day is not only beneficial for the worker and the company, but studies suggest that customers are also more satisfied with this decision. This is what they discovered at Toyota service centers that, after surveying their clients, they were able to verify that they were more satisfied when employees worked only six hours a day.
10. Less pollution
Scientific studies suggest that countries in which workers work fewer hours have a lower environmental impact. This is what research carried out in the United Kingdom showed. What is not clear is whether the environmental impact is due to the reduction of hours themselves or greater social awareness, which would affect both the environment and the well-being of the population
