The question of whether countries with extended working hours are financially prosperous than relatively short hours has been a contentious issue, sparking a plethora of debated over time. However, a more-balanced approach that synthesizes all the concern can yield a more pragmatic resolution to this discord.
To begin with, some schools of thought assert that long shifts simply mean more productive. They postulate that it will enhance employee’s efficiency and skills. Being engaged in certain task for extended time will hone their skills and strength. This way, they can contribute more to the national objective of economic development and financial excellence. For instance, rules like Mao Zedong, Adolf Hitler indoctrinated all the workers with advantages of long-working hours and inculcated the feeling of national prosperity. It is believed that through this policy, those countries experienced rapid growth in Industrialization and rest is the history. China’s growth can in by large attributed to relentless working hours of industrial workers, and some historians also document that hours could extend as much as 18 hours a day.
On the other hand, exponents of fewer working time contend that longer shifts will take a toll on both the physical and mental health of an employee, and even prove to be counterproductive for economic development. Workers who are exploited for extended hours tend to be exhausted with the passage of time which render them less productive. Most of the recently published studies reveal that Countries with relatively shorter working hours far outstrip the ones with long hours. Studies emphasize the importance of job satisfaction rather than longer shifts for the productivity of the worker. It has also disclosed that workers with more balanced life, extended time with their friends and families, more rest and refreshments are found to be more productive than other workers. This shows a direct relation between work-time and productivity, which can be directly translated to the economic prosperity of the country.
While both long and short working hours appear to be meritorious, deep scrutinization reveals that the latter seem to outweigh the former. However, each has its advantages and downfalls, and should be seen on case-by-case basis rather than one-size-fits-all approach.