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Gothenburg Trial: Can Shorter Workday Raise Productivity?
EXCERPTS
WHAT SCIENTIFIC STUDIES SAY
According to a study, the human mind can focus on any given task for 90-120 minutes. Afterward, a 20-30 minute break is required to get the revitalization to realize high performance for the next task again. This scenario was called ultradian rhythm (Refer to Exhibit I). The findings of scientists at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health in 2012 supported the results from a 2011 British survey that revealed that doing more than 11 hours of work a day raised heart disease risks by 67 percent. According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average American worked 8.8 hours every day. . |
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THE GOTHENBURG EXPERIMENT
According to analysts, Sweden had been a leader in providing social welfare benefits to its citizens. The 1990s witnessed a number of experiments with the six-hour day for full pay in Sweden...
RESULTS
The experiment in the Svartedalens reportedly resulted in higher standards of care and received positive feedback from its 80 staff members who had participated. ..
CRITICISM
Some analysts opined that the six-hour workday could prove challenging to some workers. They felt that working a shorter day while targeting the same level of output would demand extreme focus on the job...
LOOKING AHEAD
Despite the positive results, the Gothenburg experiment was scheduled to halt by the end of 2016. The center left alliance in Gothenburg council had lost its majority, and the Conservatives and Liberals were unanimously opposed to the reduced working hours policy...
EXHIBITS
Exhibit I: Waveform of Life
Exhibit II: Time Use on an Average Work Day for Employed Persons Ages 25 To 54 with Children (As on 2014)
