Post on 28-Nov-2014
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The American Workhorse
Hourly Productivity
Short Workweeks Across the World
The lines have blurred between work hours and personal time. Work emails, schedules, and documents are accessible (even editable) on mobile devices—bringing the workplace to anywhere with an Internet connection. But does working more hours
mean more productivity? According to data by the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) and The Economist,
it actually means the exact opposite.
In the United States, the 40-hour workweek is often overlooked and disregarded.Employers might view employees who put in 40 hours a week as lazy or unmotivated.
Here’s a look at hours worked on an annual basis.
To better understand the relationship between these two metrics, let’s examine various countries’ relationships between annual hours worked and productivity.
For those of us still on the 40-hour workweek schedule, here are some helpful tips to make sure your productivity levels stay ahead of the curve.
Work Hours, by Country
Work Hours/Productivity Correlation
Which Countries are Most Productive?
Sources:INC.com | Fast Company | Business Insider | The EconomistWashington Post | NY Times | CNN Money
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800 2,000 2,200 2,400 2,600 2,800
GD
P Pe
r Hou
r Wor
ked
(USS
, 20
05
PPP)
Hours Worked Per Person Engaged
Be Ruthless AboutPrioritizing TasksFirst focus on items and tasks that make or break your business. Not all tasks are created equal.
PLAN
Don’t Start AnythingWithout a Plan FirstThe biggest time-waster is redoing a task that wasn’t done right the first time. Creating a strategy at the forefront will make execution more e�cient.
Be Realistic AboutHow Many Gains YouCan Really MakeDream big and have goals, but temper your long-term ambitions with short-term realism.
Invest in HelpTrying to do everything yourself is another way of ignoring priorities. Get the help you need, and train people to do the job the way it should be done.
Carve Out and ProtectTime for YourselfSchedule personal time to keep yourself healthy, maintain important relationships outside of work, and follow passions that aren’t relatedto your job.
Typical rationale says longer hours bring more productivity, but new research tells a di�erent story.
DENMARK
FRANCE
GREECE
JAPAN
KOREA
PORTUGAL
SPAIN
SWEDEN
UNITEDKINGDOM
UNITEDSTATES
Ann
ual W
orki
ng H
ours
Per
Per
son
Enga
ged
(20
12) 3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN
Although correlation doesn’t equal causation, the relationship between hours worked and productivity indicates longer hours might not result in more productivity..
Overall, productivity and disposable income seem to increase, as annual hours worked decrease.
*Productivity is measured by Annual Hours Worked ÷ Country GDP.
0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500
Annual Hours Worked
MEXICO
SOUTH KOREA
GREECE
RUSSIA
UNITED STATES
FRANCE
GERMANY
Productivity
$44.00
$14.46
$26.22
$28.47
$15.49
$56.18
$49.13
$49.30
OECD AVG.
Working Smarter, Not Longer
Productivity aside, employees with shorter work hours are more loyal and su�er less stress and illness. They also tend to be more productive, hour-for-hour.
ITALY
hours
36
IRELAND
hours
34
SWITZERLAND
hours
35
SWEDEN
hours
36
DENMARK
hours
33
BELGIUM
hours
35
GERMANY
hours
35
NETHERLANDS
hours
29
AUSTRALIA
hours
36
NORWAY
hours
33
Winding Down theWorkweek
Winding Down theWorkweek