Proof That A Six Hour Work Day Would Be The Best Thing Ever

The traditional eight-hour daily grind in the office could soon be a thing of the past (hurrah!) if a new study is to be believed.

According to new research?commissioned by Crown Workplace Relocations, 75% of employees were for a six-hour workday. Not so surprising, right? What is encouraging is that’six out of 10 bosses believe that cutting employees’ work days from eight to six hours?could be beneficial for business and the wellbeing of employees.

When asked if their company would consider implementing the six-hour work day, 36% of decision makers answered “yes, possibly” and a further 26% said “yes, definitely,” compared to 25% of bosses who thought “probably not.”

?The introduction of a six-hour working day has already been implemented by some employers in Britain with many reporting positive results – improved employee focus and productivity,? said Barry Koolen, regional managing director at Crown Workplace Relocations. ?Historically the British eight-hour working day was created to encourage a work-life balance and these findings suggest we may soon see a new cultural shift towards a six-hour working day.?

Hey, it worked in Sweden, so why not on our shores? Swedish companies were?trialling the shorter day?in the belief that spending less time at the office means employees are more focused, procrastinate less and have healthier and happier lives outside of work.

Just 14% of managers ruled the possibility out, according to the survey.?Four in 10 bosses said they believed their staff would be just as productive in six hours as in eight hours – twice as many as the number of respondents who thought the move would decrease productivity.

Managers also favoured the shorter day because they thought having more leisure time would increase employees’ mental and physical well-being, improve their relationships with family and friends, boost their creativity and reduce the number of sick days taken. These results add weight to a myriad of other research that has found that requiring people to start work before 10 am is creating “a sleep-deprived society” and is making employees ill, exhausted and stressed.

You won’t hear us complaining about a six-hour work day. Ever.