Trends in Work Hours

In today’s fast-paced corporate environment, the emphasis on relentless work hours often overshadows the importance of work-life balance. Ashwin Yardi ,CEO of Capgemini India, stands out as a leader who prioritizes a healthier approach to work. Advocating for a 47.5-hour workweek, he encourages employees to focus on productivity without compromising their personal lives. His commitment to a structured schedule of nine hours a day across five days is a refreshing perspective amidst the prevailing culture of 70-90 hour workweeks. Yardi's stance goes beyond mere numbers; it reflects a profound respect for personal time. By discouraging weekend emails, he fosters an environment where employees can recharge, ultimately leading to enhanced creativity and efficiency during the workweek. This approach not only boosts morale but also contributes to a more sustainable corporate culture. In a world where the hustle often overshadows well-being, Yardi’s leadership serves as an inspiring example for industry peers. By promoting a balanced work model, he is not just reshaping the expectations of employees but also paving the way for a more humane corporate landscape. Leaders across various sectors should take note of his philosophy—prioritizing employee well-being is not merely an option; it is essential for long-term success and innovation in any organization. LinkedIn LinkedIn News LinkedIn for Marketing LinkedIn News India

𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫-𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥-𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 ! 📆 Reducing work hours is more than a scheduling change—it’s a game-changer for well-being. 💡 Whether done at the company-wide or individual level, scaling back hours consistently correlates with stronger employee wellness. 🔥 But here’s the standout insight: greater personal hour reductions lead to even bigger boosts in well-being. What’s driving this? ✔️ Enhanced self-rated work ability 😴 Fewer sleep issues ⚡ Lower fatigue levels And the impact? Absolutely energizing: ➡️ 70% reported less burnout ➡️ Over 40% saw better mental health ➡️ 38% enjoyed improved sleep quality These findings highlight a simple truth: when organizations prioritize time, people unlock their full potential, according to a new interesting research published by a team of Boston College researchers using data from 2,896 employees across 141 organizations in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and the USA. Researchers explored three core questions: 1️⃣ How did workers’ sense of well-being evolve throughout the trial, especially when compared to their counterparts in control organizations? 2️⃣ Do deeper cuts in working hours—whether across an entire company or for individual employees—correlate with greater boosts in employee well-being? 3️⃣ When reduced working hours lead to improved well-being, what mechanisms explain this connection? Researchers revealed that companies implementing reduced work time saw notable improvements in employee well-being, unlike those in the control group. ☝️ 𝙈𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬: I’ve always believed that reducing work hours or embracing remote work isn’t just a lifestyle upgrade—it’s a strategic move for long-term productivity. That’s why this four-day workweek study really resonates with me. The findings are compelling: employees working just 32 hours a week, with no pay cut, reported being happier, healthier, and more productive. Burnout dropped, mental health improved, and even sleep quality got better. What’s especially interesting is that over 90% of the companies involved chose to stick with the new schedule after the six-month trial. Of course, I recognize the study’s time limitation—six months isn’t long enough to capture deeper shifts, especially in physical health or organizational culture. But even within that window, the results show how leaders’ decisions around time investment can ripple out into meaningful change. For me, this reinforces a core belief: when people are given more time to live, they show up better at work. And that’s not just good for employees—it’s a win for businesses too. 🙏Thank you Boston College researchers team for sharing these insightful findings: Wen Fan Juliet B. Schor Orla Kelly PhD. Guolin Gu 🔑 What if fewer hours meant deeper engagement—would leaders embrace the change? #WFH #4dayworkweek #wellbeing #productivity

📢 New Research: The Consequences of #AfterHoursWork on Employee Wellbeing 🕒 Recent study published in the Scand J Work Environ Health: 👉 The consequences of after-hours work: a fixed-effect study of burnout, pain, detachment, and work–home conflict among Norwegian workers by Vilde Bernstrøm, Mari Holm Ingelsrud and Wendy Nilsen. This research sheds light on the impact of working outside regular hours on employee health and wellbeing. Analyzing longitudinal data (fixed effects) from 1,465 full-time employees in Norway, the study examined four types of after-hours work: 1️⃣ Long daily hours (>10 hours/day) 2️⃣ Late evening work (after 9 PM) 3️⃣ Quick returns (<11 hours of rest between shifts) 4️⃣ Long weekly hours (>40 hours/week) 💡 Key Findings: 🔹 #Burnout, #Detachment & #WorkHomeConflict: Late evening work, long daily hours, and long weekly hours were associated with higher work–home conflict and lower psychological detachment. Weekly work hours were directly linked to increased burnout. 🔹 #WorkTimeControl: Limited Work Time Control worsened the impact of quick returns on burnout, highlighting the need for balanced scheduling practices. 👉 Implications for Employers: These findings underscore the importance of rethinking after-hours work policies: ✅ Prioritize healthy scheduling to reduce burnout risks. ✅ Enhance work-time control for employees to mitigate negative impacts. ✅ Design family-friendly practices that balance productivity with wellbeing. For organizations navigating the challenges of flexible work, this study offers actionable insights into fostering a sustainable and supportive work environment. Read the full study here: doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.4198 #WorkLifeBalance #EmployeeWellbeing #BurnoutPrevention #FlexibleWork

🚨 12-hour workdays in tech? A regressive move. The Karnataka government’s proposal to extend working hours for tech professionals to 12 hours a day is not just controversial — it’s deeply concerning. As someone who works closely with professionals on their confidence and career wellbeing, I find this policy wrong on multiple levels: 1. Productivity ≠ Longer Hours Research from Harvard Business Review and Stanford shows that productivity declines sharply after 6 hours of focused work. More hours don’t mean more output. They often mean more burnout. 2. Mental Health Crisis in the Making We’re already seeing a spike in anxiety, depression, and burnout in the corporate workforce. Do we really need to legislate more stress into people’s lives? 3. Work-Life Balance Becomes a Myth Twelve-hour shifts leave no room for family, learning, hobbies, or even rest. This isn’t just about convenience — it’s about human dignity and sustainable living. 4. It’s a Slippery Slope Once normalized, longer working hours could spread across sectors. This isn’t just an IT issue — it’s a precedent that threatens every working professional in India. 5. What Are We Optimizing For? If we need to force 12-hour shifts to compete globally, are we really building a future-ready, innovation-led economy? My take: True growth comes from empowered, well-rested, inspired people — not overworked and exhausted ones. Let’s not confuse hustle with progress. Countries like the Netherlands, Denmark, France, Germany, and Norway have better working hour policies that prioritize outcomes over clocked time, trust employees, and invest in workplace culture. The focus is on working smarter, not longer! We need more conversations around fair work practices, not fewer. 🧠 It’s time to redesign work, not stretch it. What’s your take? #workculture #leadership #karnataka #techindustry #employeewellbeing #12hourworkday

Four day week in Sweden and Norway For six months, eleven courageous businesses have challenged the traditional 40-hour working week and asked themselves how freed-up time can act as a catalyst for well-being, innovation, attractiveness, and better results. It follows the 100:80:100 model. 80% of time for 100% pay, as long as you get 100% productivity. Of the ten operations that reported operating results, none had a worse financial outcome compared with the same period the previous year. Some operations reported improved financial results, while others had unchanged results. “The bravest thing is to stop measuring time and start measuring meaning. Four days can hold more than five ever did.” 😊 Stress decreased by 19% 😊 Sleep quality improved by 24 minutes of additional sleep per night (from 6.6 to 7.0 hours), 😊 The proportion who never experienced anxiety increased from 46.5% to 64.6%. 😊 Work intensity remained unchanged—no increase in pace despite a 20% reduction in working hours 😊 Satisfaction with life right now increased by 25% (from 6.3 to 7.9), and overall happiness increased from 6.3 to 7.9. “We learned that it's not just less work that frees up energy—it's the balance between freedom and flexibility based on shared clarity, rhythm, and responsibility.” Ten out of eleven businesses have chosen to continue after the six-month pilot.

It's hard not to subscribe to hustle culture. The idea that success is always achievable if you just work harder is almost comforting. But the more data we look at, the more we learn that it's not always fueling productivity — in fact, in many ways it’s cutting against us. My team at Slack recently released new research showing that working more hours is most often associated with less productivity. When I talk with my friends and colleagues about what we learned, I get some raised eyebrows. "Ok so you’re telling me that taking breaks is a productivity booster — what ever happened to hard work?" "You’re saying the research shows I should spend four hours a day focusing, and no more than two hours a day in meetings. Yeah right. There’s no way I can make that happen." The industrial revolution established the idea that people should operate like machines. And more than 200 years later, hustle culture is now so deeply ingrained that many workers equate being “always on” with being a model employee. But that’s not how humans operate. Just ask an athlete — rest and recovery is a critical component of performance. Just ask an innovator — carving out focus time to read, write, and ponder is a prerequisite to original thought. So we have an opportunity to shift our thinking, and redefine what it means to be a model employee. - It's not "work harder" it's "work smarter" - It's not "cancel all meetings" it's "replace inefficient meetings with asynchronous collaboration on Slack" - It's not "nobody wants to work hard" it's "focus time, collaboration time, connection, and rest are the macronutrients of the work day — the right balance allows you to perform at your best.” Don’t believe me? See the data for yourself. Then tell me what you think.

From 9 to 10 hours — Andhra Pradesh just redefined “growth” ▶️ But the question is — growth for whom? The state government’s new amendment extends the maximum daily working hours to 10, sparking heavy backlash from trade unions. The logic? Industrial growth and flexible shifts. But here’s where logic fails and research speaks: 📊 According to OECD - OCDE data, countries like Germany (avg. 26 hours/week) and Netherlands (avg. 29 hours/week) have higher per-hour productivity than India — with significantly better work-life balance, mental health, and economic output per capita. ▶️ The World Health Organization and International Labour Organization (2021 report) concluded that working 55+ hours/week increases risk of stroke by 35% and heart disease by 17%. India already ranks #1 globally for overwork-related deaths. 🇮🇳 In a country where over 70% of the workforce is already stressed (source: Deloitte India Workforce Well-being Survey), this move may not bring industrial progress — it might just breed burnout. Now here’s the twist — We celebrate AI for automating work, tech for optimizing tasks, and startups for reinventing workplaces, yet a state policy takes us back decades. Are we building a “New India” or reviving the ghost of 1950s labor exploitation? 📌 Let’s shift the question from “How long did you work?” to “What did you create, solve, or improve?” Because more hours ≠ more impact. And people are not machines — they’re not meant to run on overtime updates. 💬 Your turn: ✅ Is India ready to break up with the time-clock mindset and embrace outcome-driven work models? Let’s talk — because this change affects more than just hours… it shapes futures. LinkedIn News India LinkedIn

❓𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸, 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲? In a world where "always-on" has become the norm, finding a company that genuinely respects your personal time is a game-changer. Here’s what companies can do; 📵 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: No after-hours calls, emails, or messages unless it's a real emergency. ⏰ 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀: Encouraging employees to log off on time and not glorifying late hours. 🧠 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁: Offering counseling, wellness programs, and stress management resources. 🏖️ 𝗔𝗱𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗢𝗳𝗳: Not just offering leave but actively encouraging employees to use it. 📅 𝗙𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Supporting hybrid, remote, or flexible hours to balance life’s demands. 👥 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: When leaders prioritize work-life balance, the culture follows. 🛠️ 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀: Streamlined processes to avoid unnecessary last-minute work or chaos. 🤗 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆-𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀: Maternity/paternity leave, childcare support, and family days. 🎯 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲-𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵: Measuring performance by results, not hours logged. 🛑 𝗡𝗼 "𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗔𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲" 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: Valuing productivity over mere presence. Being in a company that respects your personal time isn't just a perk—it's a necessity for long-term well-being. If you’ve experienced this, consider yourself lucky! If not, maybe it’s time to rethink where you’re investing your energy. What’s your take on work-life balance? Let’s discuss in the comments! Sanumon MB🐦 #WorkLifeBalance #HR #CompanyCulture #Wellbeing

📊 Does it matter when we work? We've got more flexibility than ever in when we work. For many of us, the boundaries between weekday and weekend have blurred. But once you account for total hours worked, does it really matter if some of those hours happen to fall on Saturday or Sunday? To answer this question, I used data from the HILDA Survey, which has tracked over 23,000 people living in Australia since 2001. I used a fixed-effects model (where each person serves as their own baseline) to examine how working on weekends affects how people feel about the hours they work, their work-life balance, and their work-related stress. Here's how to read the figure below. The x-axis is total hours worked per week. The y-axis is how many of those hours are worked on the weekend. So the bottom-left of each panel represents someone working 35 hours, none of them on weekends. Top-right is someone working 65 hours with 25 of them on weekends. The colours show the predicted effect on each wellbeing outcome, relative to the average worker in the sample. Here’s what I found: 1) Total hours and weekend hours both matter. For work-life balance satisfaction especially, the contour lines run diagonally, which means moving up the y-axis (more weekend hours) is associated with a similar wellbeing shift as moving across the x-axis (more total hours). Someone working just 35 hours a week but with 20-25 of them on weekends reports about the same work-life balance as someone working 55-60 hours entirely on weekdays. In other words, weekend hours can be associated with relatively poor work-life balance even when total hours are modest. 2) That said, there's a ceiling effect at high hours. Once you're working 55-60+ hours a week, the damage is already done. Working some of those hours on weekends isn’t associated with much further reduction in work-life balance. So the cost of working weekends is most visible at lower total hours. 3) For satisfaction with working hours and work-related stress, weekend hours still matter. But they matter less. The lines here are closer to vertical, meaning total hours has a stronger relative influence. One thing I'm thinking about now is how much the reason for working weekends shapes these outcomes. We controlled for income, age, number of children, marital status, occupation, and industry, so this isn't just about hospitality workers doing weekend shifts and reporting lower satisfaction than everyone else. But is there a difference between choosing to shift some hours to Saturday because you're studying during the week versus being required to work weekends because the job demands it? Both could plausibly reduce work-life balance satisfaction, but perhaps for different reasons. Check out more research insights like this here: https://lnkd.in/gnbvqG-b #PeopleAnalytics #FlexibleWork #WorkLifeBalance #OrgPsych #FutureOfWork

“60 hours per week is the sweet spot of productivity.” No it’s not. It’s the sweet spot of burnout. Last week, Google founder Sergei Brin sent a company memo recommending that people be “in the office at least every weekday” and pushed everyone to work 60-hour weeks. I’ve been listening to this hustle-core mantra about working 60 hours per week my entire career in tech and even adopted it for years. The problem: it’s total BS. A large-scale study from Stanford found a huge productivity cliff after working 49 hours per week, and that working more than 55 hours per week was literally pointless. You’re so burnt out that you don’t get anything more done. A study by Slack found that employees who logged off at the end of the workday received 20% higher productivity scores than those who after hours. Nearly every single study shows that pushing your employees to work more than 40 hours per week leads to burnout and decreased productivity, yet it’s the go-to-move of tech execs like Brin whenever they feel threatened. (In his memo, Brin sounded downright terrified Google was going to lose the AI race). Let’s stop buying into this false hustlecore narrative. Work a reasonable amount of hours. See your family. Don’t go into the office on Saturday. You’ll be happier, more productive, and more creative.