Sweden’s 6-Hour Workday Is Proving To Be Beneficial For Health And Productivity
Most people who work 9-to-5 aren’t huge fans of the eight-hour work day, but it tends to be the norm for office jobs in the United States.
However, employers in Sweden decided to try out something different. They began implementing six-hour workdays in attempt to boost workers’ productivity – and this strategy has proven to be effective.
The government-funded study found that nurses working in a retirement home who spent the past year working six-hour workdays were happier, more productive, and more energetic at work and at home than those who worked a traditional eight-hour day.
Interestingly enough, they also ended up taking less time off for vacation and sick days.
It seems counterintuitive that shorter work days could make employees more productive, but with these shorter days, the nurses were healthier overall, which gave me them more energy and motivation to focus on their work.
Additional studies back up this claim, as research shows that too many hours at work can destroy productivity and even lead to more mistakes.
Although this study was only done on one type of population, it’s something all employers should consider, especially since Americans are working more than the rest of the world. The six-hour workday may be what we need for not only our health, but our careers as well.