This was adapted from its original post on JohnnyWhitfield.com
Henry Ford shook the work world when he reduced his company’s work week to 40 hours (and DOUBLED wages).
His employees were MORE productive than when they were working a whole extra day. That happened more than a century ago.
It’s time: we need a 30 hour work week!
Working 8 hours per day is not the most effective way to achieve your business goals.
There’s a great opportunity for a company to be a true market leader and provide their employees a 30-hour workweek at the same pay.
That’s key: SAME PAY!
Amazon tried the 30 hours, but they cut people’s pay… As if the employees were being less productive.
But Americans are more productive than ever, yet wages haven’t risen comparably.
Hours with a butt in a seat do NOT translate to hours being productive. Most people are only productive for 3 hours per day.
The point is to eliminate fluff… Like the 2 hours per day spent browsing the web instead of working on projects.
A 30 hour work week benefits both employer and employees. Allow me to explain.
Here’s how to get more productivity with a 30 hour work week now:
1) Work expands to fill the time allotted
Deadlines work. As stated in Parkinson’s law, “Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.”
If given unlimited time, most people will procrastinate to the last minute.
The way around that, and to reduce the hours in the office, is implementing shorter deadlines. Get more productivity in less time with deadlines!
2) Fewer hours in office means more hours doing things we enjoy
When we spend time doing things we enjoy, generally, we get happier. Being happier leads to being more productive.
We could also spend the extra time cooking and/or exercising regularly. Add some yoga for an extra health boost and we could change the world!
3) People get more sleep and work when they are at their best
Having people only work 6 hours per day allows them to spend that 2 extra hours cooking, exercising and sleeping. We Americans need more sleep. And better sleep. Less stress would help us get better sleep.
Somewhere along the way, we were brainwashed to believe that working so much and not sleeping was a badge of honor. It’s really just a ticket to an early grave.
4) Rush Hour gets eliminated
Our commutes are awful. They make us less productive and depressed. Some of that even leads to obesity – which is a productivity destroyer.
A 30 hour work week schedule example would be working 7a – 1p or Noon – 6p. The business is open a few extra hours and everyone gets an hour in the middle together…
But, don’t have stupid meetings. Only have standing meetings with a written agenda. Stick to it. Get through it. Get out and get shit done.
With the fragmented schedule, rush hour traffic disappears and people spend less time in the car. This translates to less stress and more quality sleep… which leads to more productivity.
5) Healthy and happy are more productive
Science shows healthy people are more productive and happy people are more productive than unhappy people.
Healthy, happy people are going to be the most productive. Employers play a huge role in how healthy and happy their employees are. Don’t burn them out – lift them up!
By taking the extra steps to ensure that employee quality of life rises, we’ll find productivity does too.
6) Hire a Growth Team
By hiring a growth team, you get the experience, expertise, and ideas of a team for the cost of one new employee. You get to unload a lot of your work to the growth team while increasing revenues.
When you hire a good growth team (like us), you get marketing strategy, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Social Media Management, Social Media Outreach, Social Ads management, content creation, keyword planning and analysis, Google Analytics setup and monitoring, plus growth hacks to help your business thrive!
And all of it is bundled into a package less than the price of hiring a marketing manager.
Conclusion
By giving employees 10-15 extra hours per week to be healthier (cook, eat better and exercise) and happier (spend more time with loved ones), you will actually improve productivity in your office. Don’t reduce pay though – that defeats the purpose.
It’s beyond time we switch to a 30 hour work week. This is a huge opportunity for a company to make a massive difference in the well-being of our workforce, and receive incredible free PR for it!
Which company will be the fearless leader paving the way this time?
UPDATE: South Korean conglomerate Shinsegae Group announced they will move be implementing a 35 hour work week with NO cut in pay! This will likely move South Korean businesses to follow the lead and adopt similar policies.
