Sheakley Updates

Should You Consider a Six-Hour Workday?

Chelsea Bikner
Six-Hour Workday
Reading time 4 Mins
Published on Dec 27
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For the last few years, economist, workplace experts, and human resources professionals have been debating the merits of a shorter workday. While reducing the working hours for your employees may seem harmful to production levels and your ability to meet client demands, the opposite may actually be true for many employers. Join us as we explore the potential merits of a six-hour workday and whether it fits the needs of your company.

Case study

Beginning in 2015, nurses at a retirement facility in Gothenburg, Sweden began taking part in a study that reduced their hours from an eight-hour workday to a six-hour workday. Ended in February of 2017, the study found that nurses who took part in the study reported being happier and less stressed than nurses in a control group working the standard eight-hour shift. Nurses in the study also took 4.7 percent fewer sick days than they had prior to the study, as well as having fewer unexpected absences. Even more striking – nurses in the control group took over 62 percent more sick days than nurses in the study. Researchers measured productivity as the amount of activity that nurses engaged in with patients during their shifts. Those in the study reported having more energy, resulting in a 64 percent increase in productivity during the study.

Higher productivity

Let’s be honest. Most employees don’t report to work excited about spending eight or more hours performing work activities. When employees spend time watching the clock or putting things off, they lose enthusiasm and production suffers. When employees feel overworked, they are more likely to be less productive and prone to making mistakes.

Decreasing the number of hours in an employee’s shift gives them the opportunity to recharge and de-stress from work. When they are at the office, they tend to remain at peak performance during their shortened shifts, increasing productivity and your bottom line.

Fewer absences

The six-hour workday also offers team members the opportunity to take care of themselves so that they have fewer absences from work due to illness. Employees won’t have to miss or skip regular health checkups because of limited time or availability, instead being able to focus on their own preventative care during their extra time away from work. Workers are also able to take time to participate in healthy activities, like exercising, that help keep their immune systems much stronger. Fewer absences is also a major contributing factor to increased productivity despite the reduction in working hours.

More engaged employees

When employees work in a positive environment, they are more likely to learn more about your company’s goals and objectives – and motivated to help achieve them. By offering shorter working hours, you are showing your associates that you care about their work-life balance and they’ll reward you by being more engaged and willing to provide genuine support to the company. When employees feel that their needs are being met by their employer, they will be more likely to buy into the company’s mission and vision – resulting in teams that are united in accomplishing the same goals and objectives.

Is it right for you?

Six-hour workdays may seem like a fly-by-night notion, but it could be the best thing for your company and your employees. By spending less time at work but more productively, employees are less stressed, don’t feel overworked, and are generally happier and more engaged.

However, reduced shifts may not be right for all employers. These arrangements may not be feasible for many start-ups and small- and mid-size businesses with limited staff. If your office or business hours state that you’re open for a set number of hours, you may have to stagger start times for employees or hire additional employees to make up the difference. Additionally, most companies that have attempted this model have only done so with salaried employees, since they did not want to disrupt the paychecks of hourly employees. If you have only hourly associates, or if they make up a significant portion of your employee base, you will want to give serious consideration to how such a reduction in hours might affect their benefits packages and paychecks.

Ultimately, whether reducing the working hours of employees is right for your company or not is a decision that should be made after careful consideration with your management team and ownership, with significant input from employees. If you have questions about the six-hour workday or reduced shifts, Sheakley’s PEO and Human Resources Outsourcing experts are here to answer any questions you may have.

Learn more about Sheakley’s PEO and HR team and contact us for your free consultation today. Stay up-to-date on all things Sheakley by subscribing to our blog and following us on social media. Join in the discussion by commenting below.


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