Achieving a Work-life Balance
Research suggests that working fewer hours may be beneficial
A
A. Anthropologists calculate that in the Stone Age, approximately one to two million years ago, the ancestors of modern humans worked on average two or three hours a day hunting and gathering food. This amount of labour was all that was necessary for survival. Today, it's not uncommon to work 50-60 hours a week, and sometimes more. At the same time, there is a substantial body of international research showing that levels of work-related stress have neve been higher. However, psychologist Dr Gina McDowell argues that the problem of stress caused by working too many hours still doesn't receive sufficient recognition and ought to be addressed with greater commitment by executives, employees and academics. Dr McDowell is one of many calling for a better work-life balance: spending an appropriate amount of time at work, but leaving sufficient hours in the day to enjoy family, friends and recreations.
B
B. Perhaps leading the search for work-life balance are technology companies, who frequently allow employees greater flexibility in everything from working hours and dress code to office design. Global tech giant MEdia operates what it calls the '20% scheme': its engineers are free to use 20% of their working week (one full day) in any way they want. Ryan Schmidt, the director of human resources at MEdia, says that 'Productivity in the economy generally has increased significantly over the last 50 years but there's a common perception in the workforce that standards of living have not kept pace. Our company intends to turn that around.' Business analyst Carla Deng has made a study of MEdia's 20% scheme and says the results are overwhelmingly positive. Says Deng, 'Our research found that when employees have greater individual choice and responsibility for their work time, they still devote some of those "free" hours to fulfilling their normal working roles. And they also feel a lot happier.'
C
C. An alternative approach taken by some other American companies is the four-day week. Ordinarily, Americans work eight hours a day, five days a week, making 40 hours in total. In a four-day week, they work four 10-hour days instead, still completing 40 hours in total but having three days off. In general, several studies have shown benefits, including reduced stress, increased productivity and more fulfilled employees. However, there may also be downsides, according to Dean Hazel, a professor of economics. For example, customers may expect a certain employee to be present five days a week and feel disappointed when they are not available. 'The truth is that such a four-day week has many attractions but it will not be appropriate in every instance,' says Professor Hazel. 'It depends very much on the company concerned, its size, internal structure and the nature of its relationships with customers, partners and suppliers.'
D
D. Indeed, some commentators question the very idea of work-life balance. Faisal Hadi, a lecturer in sociology, argues that the term work-life balance implies that the two represent distinct aspects of life that are easily separable. But in fact, for many of us 'work' and 'life' intrude on each other all the time and trying to 'balance' them precisely represents a goal that can never be achieved. 'This term work-life balance has become a cliché,' says Hadi. 'In reality, life is an intricate mix of work and leisure and the relationship between the two has so many strands that they cannot be neatly divided. The idea of work- life balance as it is often understood has limited value.'
E
E. However, a recent experiment has certainly challenged this idea. Employees at the New Zealand company involved worked four eight-hour days a week, but were paid for five. The experiment was conducted at Certified Life, a firm which has sold insurance for more than six decades. At the end of experiment, 78% of employee felt they were able to manage their work-life balance, up from 54%, when working a standard 40-hour week. The 240 employees at Certified Life completed surveys at the beginning and end of the experiment to provide information for the study. The employees themselves worked out how all the necessary tasks could be completed within deadlines while working fewer hours, and were then responsible for implementing those decisions. Lead researcher Dr Hannah Graham says that the experiment produced such positive results partly because employees were given a role in decision-making throughout it.
F
F. The New Zealand experiment also showed a 7% drop in stress levels when working fewer hours, without any drop in productivity. The chief executive of Certified Life, Tane Robinson, says that the four-day week boosted the firm's reputation and made it easier to retain staff who might otherwise have moved on. Furthermore, cooperation between employees was seen to improve significantly when working shorter hours and team cohesion was significantly enhanced, according to the supervisors. Quite apart from the benefits at Certified Life, Dr Graham also suggests that such schemes might also address the issue of congestion in major cities by restricting the numbers going to work each day. Roland Gillespie, workplace relations minister in the New Zealand government, described the findings as 'enormously encouraging' and said that he was keen to see businesses experiment with similar new and improved work models. Meanwhile, Certified Life has plans to see the four-day week implemented long term. It may become an initiative that is replicated in other companies.
1.
The claim that one workplace initiative may not be suitable for all businesses.
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