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[entremet]

My company decided to do things differently. I run a business that sells stand-up paddleboards, so a shorter workday that freed our employees' afternoons for extraordinary living was a natural fit for our beach lifestyle brand.

We decided to move to a five-hour workday, where everyone works from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. By eliminating an hour-long lunch, we only reduced our work time by two hours. Our employees don't get paid less, and I still expect them to be twice as productive as the average worker.

The results have been astounding. Last year, we were named the fastest-growing private company in San Diego. This year, our 9-person team will generate $9 million in revenue.

When I tell people my team only works five hours a day, their response is always, "That's nice, but it won't work for me." The 9-to-5 is so ingrained in their minds that they can't imagine anything else.

But you can reduce your hours by 30% and maintain the same level of productivity. Here's why:

Humans are not machines. Just because you're at your desk for eight hours doesn't mean you're being productive. Even the best employees probably only accomplish two to three hours of actual work. The five-hour day is about managing human energy more efficiently by working in bursts over a shorter period.

Happiness boosts productivity. Studies show that happier workers are more productive, and it makes sense: Having time to pursue your passions, nurture your relationships, and stay active gives you more energy emotionally and physically.

Fewer hours create scarcity. In their book, "Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much," Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir write that having less time creates periods of heightened productivity called "focus dividends." A five-hour workday offers baked-in time management by forcing you to prioritize high-value activities.

The scarcity argument is really true. It's an example of Parkinson's Law--work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.

Notice how productive you get before a vacation? That's an example of it.

The CEO, who wrote the article, does mention that this is not possible for every type of job obviously.

But at his company they work 8am to 1pm with no lunch break.

I'd take that!

We really need to rid of this factory mindset and focus more on results instead of hours logged on the job. It's good to see companies do A/B testing on this so we can more empirical data.

http://www.businessinsider.com/why-...y-and-how-you-can-make-it-work-for-you-2016-9

 

[TCRS]

cool I guess. my company barely managed to introduce home office, let's wait another couple of years/decades.

 

[mackattk]

At least 20% of the time I am just sitting there twiddling my thumbs due to circumstances out of my control. Something like this would be amazing.

But let's get real, the only outcome of this for 99% of the companies would be keeping people part time under the hours needed for full benefits, and would still be paid the same wage, so way less money overall. In USA terms, this is fantasy land stuff.

 

[ramparter]

Humans are not machines. Just because you're at your desk for eight hours doesn't mean you're being productive. Even the best employees probably only accomplish two to three hours of actual work. The five-hour day is about managing human energy more efficiently by working in bursts over a shorter period.

Exactly, I realized this a few months after I starte my current job. 9/10 days 5-6 hours would be enough for me to get the same amount of work done.

 

[Vagabundo]

I'll bet most employees work their asses off. Who wants to lose that job?

 

[TVexperto]

cool I guess. my company barely managed to introduce home office, let's wait another couple of years/decades.

How is it going? I think more companies should offer that or shorter work days

 

[entremet]

I'll bet most employees work their asses off. Who wants to lose that job?

Yeah, imagine getting used to regular hours after this? You will be spoiled for life.

 

[KingBroly]

At least 20% of the time I am just sitting there twiddling my thumbs due to circumstances out of my control. Something like this would be amazing.

But let's get real, the only outcome of this for 99% of the companies would be keeping people part time under the hours needed for full benefits, and would still be paid the same wage, so way less money overall. In USA terms, this is fantasy land stuff.

Well, no one would be full time by law, even at 7, 5-hour work days.

 

[effzee]

Not same schedule but back when I worked a 3 day 12 hr shift as an engineer at a hospital, I was my most productive both at work and at home, best shape of my life, and probably happiest.

 

[mackattk]

Well, no one would be full time by law, even at 7, 5-hour work days.

Yeah thats never going to happen, lol.

 

[ViciousDS]

Even the best employees only get 2-3 hours of productive work done?

That's not what my productivity sheet is, we also keep track of our own downtime. Bench time efficiency is 88% working 10 hour days

 

[darkace]

Who the hell only has 2-3 productive hours a day? My last job I worked flat out all day from 8-5. 2-3 productive hours would have meant I'd have never gotten nearly enough work done.

 

[entremet]

Even the best employees only get 2-3 hours of productive work done?

That's not what my productivity sheet is, we also keep track of our own downtime. Bench time efficiency is 88% working 10 hour days

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American works 8.8 hours every day. Yet a study of nearly 2,000 full-time office workers revealed that most people aren't working for most of the time they're at work.

http://www.inc.com/melanie-curtin/i...worker-is-productive-for-this-many-hours.html

Also, these are averages.

 

[cheezcake]

Who the hell only has 2-3 productive hours a day? My last job I worked flat out all day from 8-5. 2-3 productive hours would have meant I'd have never gotten nearly enough work done.

What type of job? I think 2-3 is too low but I can agree that I struggle to get more than 5 hours of productive work out a day as an engineer. Unless it's crunch but the quality suffers.

 

[Polioliolio]

Look at these somewhat defensive answers already.

 

[entremet]

Look at these somewhat defensive answers already.

Cultural brainwashing of the Protestant work ethic.

Also there is always resistance when the status quo is challenged.

 

[dani_dc]

Even the best employees only get 2-3 hours of productive work done?

That's not what my productivity sheet is, we also keep track of our own downtime. Bench time efficiency is 88% working 10 hour days

Time effencieny tells us nothing of productivity, it just means you're working more hours, it tell us nothing of how he longer hours affect the quality of your work.

Studies indicate that longer hours lead to less overall productive, as pointed out in the thread, so clearly there's more to it than just the amount of time you spend working.

 

[Jackpot]

My output from 4 hours a day easily exceeds my colleagues' 8 hours a day.

 

[NoRéN]

Look at these somewhat defensive answers already.

Cultural brainwashing of the Protestant work ethic.

Also there is always resistance when the status quo is challenged.

Not really contributing much.

The author of the article specifically said this won't work with all jobs. It's almost like it's quite possible that the people responding have personal evidence to the contrary.

But, of course, it's much easier to be edgy and cool on a forum.

 

[entremet]

Not really contributing much.

The author of the article specifically said this won't work with all jobs. It's almost like it's quite possible that the people responding have personal evidence to the contrary.

But, of course, it's much easier to be edgy and cool on a forum.

I specifically addressed it in the OP.

He said it won't work for every job.

Don't be so sensitive.

 

[NesFe]

The part about working 2-3 hours a day is so true for me. I work from 7am to 3pm and I can honestly say that most of my daily workload is done from 8am->10:30pm. Sometimes, something pops up at 1-2pm but in most days I'm just sitting there browsing the internet.
I ended up getting some training videos to watch during my downtime and already have one certifcation under my belt lol. Now aiming for another. At least I'm studying since I wouldn't have done so at home.

 

[Skellig Gra]

I think the only job thia doesn't work for are customer service jobs like a call center. Otherwise, short effective bursts of work are exactly how I work.

 

[oneils]

I wonder how often they exceed the 5 hour day. The article states that his top performers do 12 hour days sometimes. Hopefully they get some sort of commission.

 

[Nipo]

I work four ten hour days. At least three of those hours are spent getting coffee, reading npr, or talking about the election with coworkers. A lot of people are already at 30 hour work weeks they just require us to be there 40.

 

[entremet]

I think the only job thia doesn't work for are customer service jobs like a call center. Otherwise, short effective bursts of work are exactly how I work.

Healthcare as well due to resource limits.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

I work at a hospital, meaning a 24 hour operation, so my 10 hour work days ain't going to 5 no time soon.

 

[ElectricKaibutsu]

I already don't have enough time at work. If they cut four hours from my day I'd have to constantly rush and my work would definitely suffer.

 

[ramparter]

I work at a hospital, meaning a 24 hour operation, so my 10 hour work days ain't going to 5 no time soon.

Understandable for jobs that require you to be there physically but in jobs like IT I don't see what's the point of hours is as long as you get the job done.

 

[Vicetrailia]

I think the only job thia doesn't work for are customer service jobs like a call center. Otherwise, short effective bursts of work are exactly how I work.

Most Manufacturing too although there's some nuance to it.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

I would take 4 day work weeks over this but I know that's harder to implement. But yeah our society is definitely obsessed with work. It's ridiculous. Working long is aint working hard.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Understandable for jobs that require you to be there physically but in jobs like IT I don't see what's the point of hours is as long as you get the job done.

I'm IT but part of the 24 hour support crew in the hospital.

 

[Damerman]

Colbertgivetome.gif


I cry about this everyday.

Edit: the bulk of my work comes in the afternoon. So from 10 to 4:30 sounds super reasonable.

 

[SuperBowser]

I work at a hospital, meaning a 24 hour operation, so my 10 hour work days ain't going to 5 no time soon.

I do too. But I still spend large periods of downtime browsing the Internet, sitting in meetings, waiting for other people or chatting to colleagues.

I doubt many jobs have the workload or intensity I get but I still probably only do 3-5 hours of actual work in a 8 hour standard day.


edit: i should add that you obviously need people in hospitals 24/7. Just that there's incredible inefficiencies in the way we work.

 

[entremet]

I would take 4 day work weeks over this but I know that's harder to implement. But yeah our society is definitely obsessed with work. It's ridiculous. Working long is aint working hard.

It's not so much the obsession per se, it's that we're using the factory model for every kind of job.

It's a bit silly, especially if you get more out well rested workers.

Again, not every job can be limited to 5 hours per day. The point is that why aren't the ones that can be limited? Especially if it leads to greater productivity?

 

[Langdon Alger]

Even the best employees probably only accomplish two to three hours of actual work.

Wow. I can't imagine what jobs people are working where this is actually true. I can't even. If you only do two hours of actual work at your job everyday, you should kneel down right now and thank Christ for your hyper-privilege.

 

[Joni]

That is almost the George Jetson workweek.

 

[Vicetrailia]

Wow. I can't imagine what jobs people are working where this is actually true. I can't even. If you only do two hours of actual work at your job everyday, you should kneel down right now and thank Christ for your hyper-privilege.

But we already know that office jobs aren't efficient. There's tons and tons of waste. Having a super time management software won't fix it (nor is it even necessary). It just doesn't need the same hourly structure as other types of jobs. It's the nature of the work.

 

[HarryHengst]

Wow. I can't imagine what jobs people are working where this is actually true. I can't even. If you only do two hours of actual work at your job everyday, you should kneel down right now and thank Christ for your hyper-privilege.

There was a thread about it on neogaf a while back: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1283207

seems loads of people barely do any work.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

It's not so much the obsession per se, it's that we're using the factory model for every kind of job.

It's a bit silly, especially if you get more out well rested workers.

Again, not every job can be limited to 5 hours per day. The point is that why aren't the ones that can be limited? Especially if it leads to greater productivity?

but there's also this attitude that exists that you gotta work hard to make it and the people working the longest hours are the ones that care most about doing a good job etc...

There's definitely some behaviourial stuff here within society on top of the fact that we're applying a stupid model to everything in north america.

 

[Triggerhappytel]

This is amazing, and good for him. It's obviously easier for small companies to be flexible like this, but I'd love it if this kind of thing started becoming more common.

 

[UnluckyKate]

I work at University.

I think everyone here just stay at their desk to clock in but work stop getting done after lunch.

Every teacher and researcher here, come early, work hard in the morning but seems to just do nothing in the afternoon...

being an assistant, paid hourly, I feel I'm wasting my time (still being paid to do nothing kinda sucks)

 

[NoblesseOblige]

I do too. But I still spend large periods of downtime browsing the Internet, sitting in meetings, waiting for other people or chatting to colleagues.

I doubt many jobs have the workload or intensity I get but I still probably only do 3-5 hours of actual work in a 8 hour standard day.

I work nights and on average only work about 2.5 hours of my shift, the rest is waiting for issues to popup. Last night/this morning (my shift ends in 30 minutes - yay) I literally went 3 hours between some calls and each call only took about 3 minutes. So I did like 15 minutes of work in 10 hour.

 

[Turin Turambar]

Even the best employees only get 2-3 hours of productive work done?

That's not what my productivity sheet is

Yeah, but people lies in productivity sheets... some uses big lies, other small ones, but most of them does it.

 

[Friggz]

i would love this type of working model. however, being apart of corporate america, i cant ever fathom a drastic change like this.

My previous job i was in the office for 70ish hours a week, with an hour commute each way, ended up being a nightmare for the 4 years i did it. During the interview for the job i have now, the hiring manager said i only should expect to work about 50 hours a week. it felt like such a win in my head that i overlooked the fact that it still sucked.

 

[Joni]

Yeah, but people lies in productivity sheets... some uses big lies, other small ones, but most of them does it.

And then there is the time wasted filling out productivity sheets.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

This is completely counter intuitive to what all the Valley companies go for now-a-days. They want you on campus 12-14 hours a day, which is why they have so many amenities and allow the "work hard, play hard" mentality.

I would be a world happier if I could work 5 hours a day.

 

[Bowler]

As a business owner... I'm just sitting here thinking my 16 -17 hour work days are just starting to get a bit stressfull.

 

[Fbh]

Saw this on TV the other day.

Really cool and while it obviously can't be applied to all type of companies I belive that with the right employees many places would have similar results.

When I had an office job the first hour and a half of everyday was basically people talking, drinking coffee, checking ther social networks and reading/commenting the news before any actual work was done.... and then during the day many took regular breaks and shit.
If you could get people to give their 100% for 5 hours you would probably get the same or better results

 

[Fallout-NL]

As a person in a creative profession (copywriter) I can definitely attest to this.

 

[StayDead]

IT Support in the UK here. We work the hours our clients work which is mostly 9-5:30, but honestly we have like an hour of work in the morning, 2-4 hours of barely anything coming in and then a last spurt of people suddenly wanting to call us just before hometime on most days.

Please implement 5 hour work days.