10 reasons why we should work 6 hours a day, according to science

Concentrating the workday into shorter hours has many advantages.

There is an intense debate about whether it is better to work 6 hours a day or 8 hours a day as in most companies.. While some companies disagree, others pursue policies that aim to reduce workers' time in the workplace.

Live to work or work to live? That is the question.

Advantages of working 6 hours a day

But what are the advantages of working 6 hours a day? what are the advantages of working 6 hours a day? In the following lines you can find the answer to this question.

Increased productivity

Although not everyone agrees that there are numerous benefits to working 6 hours, some researchers have found that there are. A study carried out in Sweden, which lasted approximately one year, concluded this.

It involved a group of nurses from the Svarte Dalens retirement home, who worked for 6 hours at a salary of 8 hours. The results were clear, working that amount of hours increases productivity and thus, and, therefore, leads to improvements in the company's goals. of the company.

2. Decrease in stress levels

The same Swedish study, which was conducted in February 2015, also showed that 6 hours of work improves the well-being of workers, and makes them perceive the work environment as healthier.

Much research has shown that stress levels go down in 6-hour work shiftsIn the case of the Swedish experiment, it showed improvements in the care nurses gave to their patients. In other jobs, and as I mentioned in the previous point, they improve the economic results of companies.

3. Improved general well-being of workers

Work is a very important aspect of our life, and being bad at work is going to have repercussions on a person's general well-being and daily life.

Another Swedish study that was conducted in Gothenburg and lasted two years concluded that workers were not only happier at work, they were also happier at work. were not only happier at work, but also happier outside of work.. The benefits of six-hour shifts are undeniable for employees.

4. Less absenteeism

Working six hours a day reduces the chances of getting sick and thus being absent from work, according to research carried out at the Svarte Dalens retreat. Absences cost companies a lot of money, which is why six-hour shifts mean savings for them.

According to the study "Información sobre Accidentes y Enfermedades de Trabajo Nacional del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social that was conducted between 2003-2012, work-related stress is the most common reason for unjustified absenteeism.. As I said before, it is reduced with six-hour shifts.

5. Reduces absenteeism

There is a lot of talk about absenteeism, but an opposite phenomenon that causes the same damage to the company is presenteeism. Presenteeism refers to being at work but not working, i.e., letting the hours go by. This not only affects the company's results, but also the employee's well-being. the employee's well-being also suffers..

In cases where presenteeism occurs, workers are at their workstation; however, they perform other tasks: connecting to social networks, consulting web pages, making calls, and so on. Scientific studies suggest that six-hour shifts significantly reduce presenteeism.

If you want to know more about this phenomenon, you can learn more in this article: "Presenteeism: causes and consequences of this phenomenon".

6. Greater work-family balance

By working fewer hours, people have more time to spend with more time to spend with their families and for leisure time.. In addition, a 6-hour schedule generally refers to an intensive shift, so the person maximizes his or her work in that time. Being able to reconcile work and family life makes people happier.

7. Lower unemployment

Reducing a worker's working hours means that there is more time to hire another worker and increase the workforce, so other workers can benefit from it. Juan Armando Corbin, an organizational psychologist, says that "6-hour shifts allow for a more even redistribution of paid working time. allow paid working time to be redistributed more evenly across the population. throughout the population."

8. More time for training and education

There is a lot of competition in today's work environment, so continuous training is beneficial to the worker as it allows him or her to stay up to date. Having well-trained workers is also important for the company, which benefits from their knowledge. Working fewer hours allows workers to have fewer hours to train.

9. Happier customers

The six-hour workday is not only beneficial for the worker and the company, but studies suggest that customers are also more satisfied with this decision. This is what they discovered at Toyota's service centers. which, after surveying their customers, found that they were more satisfied when employees worked only six hours a day.

10. Less pollution

Scientific studies suggest that countries where workers work fewer hours have a lower environmental impact. This is what research carried out in the United Kingdom showed. What is not clear is whether the environmental impact is due to the reduction in hours per se or the increased social awareness, which would affect both the environment and the environment. would affect both the environment and the well-being of the population..