Advantages and disadvantages of reducing working

hours

Elias Bravo Corts

Increasing working hours is a modality used each time more by companies from

industrialized countries; its common that countries with higher GDP and

productivity are the same where working hours are the lowest; this point is really

important because confirms that productivity isnt synonym of working hours, if not

that productivity depends on many factors like workers education and other kinds

of encouragements, also is common to check that countries where reducing

working hours is encouraged has free education in all levels, its fiscal structure is

progressive and a big part of national quote is destined to investigations,

improvements and working legislations.

One of the pioneers country in this way is Sweden, that country started trying in an

almshouse of Gothenburg, they changed 8 working hours to 6, the 86 employees

declared that the change was extremely positive in their lives, they used to be tired

every time but now they pay more attention, are more concentrated and work

happier; another company that installed this concept was Toyota in the same city,

13 years ago they reduced working hours and since that moment they never got

new complains of rows. After the change, machine uses is more efficient, costs

have been reduced and benefits had increased 25%.

Advantages

Increase productivity of employees, is proved that reducing working hours

helps to increase productivity, it allows employees to be more enthusiastic

and concentrated because they have more free time for attending personal

tasks, recharge energies, do exercise, to be with family and rest better,

If you have financial troubles youll have enough time to get two jobs per

day, or to study at the same time you have a job.

Disadvantages

Reduced salaries because working less hours, the company will be

obligated to contract more people for the same production, traduced in

spend more money in salaries, so as they look for decreasing maintenance,

they will distribute the same quote in more people.

Problems in employees continuity, because of the lower pays employees

usually might look for new jobs.

Social problems with colleagues, there could exist differences with

colleagues who work more hours, because they will be more identified with

jobs situations, also could happened that you couldnt go to job meetings

because of your reduced work shift.