Evidence suggests that one of the biggest advantages of working fewer weekly hours is that it makes people better workers. Research shows people get more thru when they work fewer hours, and less done when they work more hours. Generally, fewer hours also mean a more streamlined schedule in workplaces. A good work-life balance is absolutely essential when it comes to leading a happy and fulfilled life. With the reduction in hours, employees will have more time to spend with their families and friends, leading to a happier workforce, employee satisfaction, and therefore higher work productivity.

You might actually think that working fewer hours would cause chaos in terms of project deadlines. However, fewer working hours actually trigger employees to set their agenda upon specific timelines which allows them to utilize their working hours effectively and meet all their deadlines on time. However, Research has shown that working when we’re overtired leads to errors.

From a management and leadership perspective, working when exhausted leads to misreading physical cues, such as facial expressions and body movements and a mismanagement of our own emotional reactions, perhaps leading to unprofessional outbursts. That’s why, especially during Ramadan when a high majority of employees are fasting the whole day, working fewer hours can prevent unnecessary mistakes, continued levels of professionalism, and quality work.

It has been researched that being overly tired has the same side effects as someone who is intoxicated. With a shorter workday, it provides employees with more time to relax and unwind. By having more downtime, it ultimately means that your workforce has higher energy levels and therefore are more efficient at work.

We know that working long hours takes a toll on wellbeing. But shorter hours, that allow people to feel more rested, better able to juggle complex caring needs or even just spend less time distracted by personal tasks at work, come with a health and wellbeing boost as well as keeping workplace maladies like burnout, boreout and depression at bay. This suggests that when long working hours are reduced, individual productivity increases, and fewer mistakes are made at work. This might happen because workers recover from fatigue and arrive for work with increased energy and focus. The increased productivity of these rejuvenated workers in turn leads to increased productivity of their teammates in complementary relationships.

In our organizations, managers expect their employees to be at their best at all hours of the workday, it’s an unrealistic expectation. Employees may want to be their best at all hours, but their natural circadian rhythms will not always align with this desire. When working from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in an office, with a break from 1 to 2 p.m., for example, we are in complete concurrence with our natural rhythm due to Zuhar prayer. Then, we are on meal break exactly when our brain is most active. Then we spend almost a third of the day (from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.) working when our body is the least productive. Finally, it is only in the morning (when we are more productive overall) that we are aligned with our pace.

There are several potential mechanisms that may underlie the association between long working hours and heart disease.  One is prolonged exposure to psychological stress. Researchers said that other factors could be increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol, poor eating habits and lack of physical activity due to limited leisure time.

In harmony, there are some more cons in reducing working hours. Reducing workers’ hours may create a lost “opportunity cost” of lost sales. With employees working less often, you may lose a potential sale to a competitor, especially if the business climate suddenly improves. You also face the potential of losing an employee who is dissatisfied with lower pay. Dissatisfied employees may become less productive, leading to lower sales. In addition, a worker may view his reduced hours in comparison to other workers as favoritism, which may affect his morale. Such a situation creates a poor working environment, which may also affect your business.

Reducing employees’ hours is effective in managing operating costs during an economic downturn. It also allows you to manage their performance by allocating more hours to higher-performing workers and fewer hours to your less efficient ones. Reducing hours in a judicious manner improves the chance of getting the most out of your employees.

Absolutely, there is no doubt that when people have a good work-life balance and get enough sleep, time with their family and leisure time, they work much more productively and effectively. As you consider the impact long hours can have on an employee, the most obvious is the physical and mental health impact. Most of the researches confirm that too much overtime has a negative impact on the body and mind.  Specifically, overtime is connected to back or joint pain, high blood pressure, increased stress levels, unhealthy weight increase, severe work and family conflicts, a higher rate of divorce, depression, and more.

It is more likely for an organization to introduce flexible working hours. It is a way of working that suits an employee’s needs, for example having flexible start and finish times, or working from home. Studies have shown significant improvements in productivity and morale when employees are given the option to work according to their own schedule. By offering flexible work hours, businesses can reduce absenteeism, attract and retain top-talent, Improve diversity and inclusion, increase job satisfaction etc. In a nutshell, flexible work hours allow employees to deviate from the traditional 9-5, Monday to Friday work schedule. Despite the many potential benefits of flexible work hours, if an organisation can’t handle flexibility, it can be counter-productive. Businesses need to be aware of the forthcoming challenges.

Published in The Daily National Courier, January, 14 2023

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