It is argued that the shorter working time and a longer weekend are beneficial for workers. While I agree that less working can help maintain a better work-life balance, I also believe that there are other drawbacks to this approach.
One of the reasons why I agree with the idea of reducing the working week is that this can potentially help maintain a work-life balance and also employee well-being. That means, people will have more time for their families, relaxation as well as personal growth, and fulfillment through entertainment. For example, in many countries like France, fewer working hours can contribute to better mental and physical health by allowing employees more time to rest, engage in personal activity, and also potentially reduce stress and burnout. As a result, a reduction in physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion can enhance productivity and increase efficiency at work.
However, I also believe that there are several negative sides. Companies may suffer financial losses due to reduced working hours. This is to say, workers may receive lower salaries, which may affect their quality of life. For instance, in Japan, working hours were reduced, but productivity did not increase. Many companies, in an effort to compensate for the reduced hours, required employees to complete more tasks within the shortened working hours. As a consequence, employees may have to work more extremely during shorter weeks.
While I acknowledge that the importance of the decreasing the working week can hand to seize balanced life for above-mentioned reasons, I also think that reducing of working hours can have severe economic consequences for individuals.