In the last few decades, there has been a profound increase in the number of people questioning the reduction of working hours due to the development of technology and automation. While some may strongly disagree, I would firmly argue that decreasing working hours has positive effects in various ways because this not only helps boost working efficiency, but also solves overworking problems.
To begin, there is an argument to be made that a decrease of people’s working hours can significantly contribute to the improvement of their productivity at work. To illustrate this point, the giant tech company Amazon, where the average working day is 4 to 6 hours per a worker, has made an exorbitant amount of profit. For this reason, it is clearly evident that reducing working hours can lead to the development of the company, as workers know that the time they can concentrate does not last too long. In addition, the general consensus amongst top-CEOs is that the shorter employees’ working hours become, the higher their motivation gets, which in turn helps a company improve efficiency as a whole. This being the case, it is not unreasonable to assume that if more companies scaled back working hours, this would immensely benefit their overall profits.
Furthermore, there is a growing body of evidence to suggest (it must be stated ) that decreased working hours can substantially reduce stress caused by working too much, making people healthier, both mentally and physically. To exemplify, according to recent data, more than 70% of people in Japan have worked overtime and some of them suffer from diseases caused by stress, which often leads to anxiety, depression, and in some extreme cases, suicide. Therefore, it is undeniable that shorter working hours can help people become more healthy, as they are put under less pressure to perform while also being granted sufficient time to spend with their friends, families, and other cherished ones. What is more, countless workers insist that they would like to spend more time on their hobbies or pastimes by making better use of their time, as only in this way can the average employee recharge their batteries by being actively involved in something that makes them happy. With this in mind, there is no doubt that if working hours are shorter, people can get better mental and physical condition.
To conclude, from the aforementioned discussion, the overwhelming evidence seems to suggest that the reduction of working hours has beneficial effects on both the companies and workers. In my humble opinion, shorter working hours can improve not only companies’ productivity, but also workers’ health.