This study says that a 5-hour workday is optimal — here’s how to do it right

Science says you should work less — only up to five hours a day, to be more precise. The 40-hour workweek Henry Ford popularized in the 1920s, it turns out, is not the most productive formula for office workers of our era, according to recent research.

And working from home during the pandemic has encouraged both professionals and organizations alike to question existing paradigms for work and to welcome alternatives.

“We have implemented shorter working hours with great success. Our policy is that no one is allowed to work overtime,” said Brad Touesnard, founder and CEO of SpinupWP, which runs a consumer-oriented server control panel.

“Having shorter work hours reduces stress levels, which makes for happier, more productive employees,” he said. “They can spend more time with their friends and loved ones, doing the things they love. When employees realize that you have their best interests at heart, they become fantastically loyal and driven.”

Janelle Owens, human-resources director at exam-prep company Test Prep Insight, has helped implement a four-day workweek in her organization. She said impact on productivity has been amazing.

“After working for three different companies in varying HR capacities, I can say I have never seen anything motivate employees like a shorter workweek,” she said. “Employees are undeniably happier. Everybody is thrilled to have every Friday off, all while keeping their current salary and benefits. On the productivity side, our analysis shows that our employees are getting more done in a four-day workweek than they were in five days.”

Why is the 5-hour workday optimal?

A 2019 survey revealed the average office worker is only productive for two hours and 53 minutes and spends the rest of their time at the office checking social media, reading news websites, talking about nonwork activities with co-workers, making hot drinks or taking smoking breaks.

Shortening work hours embraces the fact you only have peak productive moments and gives you permission to tend to your personal life when your work is done, an incentive appreciated by parents, according to Touesnard.

“Employees who have young children often need to pay for expensive child care services,” he said. “More importantly, they miss out on precious time with their children during the important formative years. With shorter work hours, parents can spend less money on child care and more time with their children.”

Have enough ammo to convince your boss or peers to ditch the eight-hour workday? Here’s how to embrace shorter work hours effectively — and never look back.

1. Consult your team and do your research

Owens spent hours discussing the pros and cons of shorter workweeks with her CEO and COO and reading books and studies on the topic before pulling the trigger on a permanent four-day week.

“After doing a bunch of research on the matter and reading a number of books and studies, we were convinced that this change would create a team that was happier and more productive,” she said.

After considering different formulas, the team added an hour to the workday Monday through Thursday but made weekends three days long.

“You can do the math, but this shortened our overall workweek from 40 hours to 36 hours,” she said. “And we were only able to do this because all of our employees are salaried, exempt employees.”

The takeaway? Do your research and consider different formulas for making shorter workhours work for your team and needs. For example, your shortened work schedule could look like longer weekends like Owens’ company, or it could be all about shortening your days but having a regular week.

2. Self-paced work vs. collaboration

Another factor to keep in mind is whether your culture is meeting-heavy — and whether that’s something you intend on carrying forward or would be willing to cut back on. Because with shorter workhours, individual tasks might end up being favored over group work.

“Since the pandemic began, my team and I have agreed on having shorter work hours,” said May Flanagan, founder of sustainability group Global Green Family. “We were all OK with working fewer hours for meetings and group work and instead [are] smart on using the hours left to work on individual tasks. … Self-paced work is slowly becoming the norm, as employers, including me, are OK with shorter work hours as long as co-workers log their time and produce quality output.”

3. Have the right systems and structure

Jerry Han, chief marketing officer at PrizeRebel, a membership rewards site, has team members on five different continents.

“We work in completely different time zones, making working hours not only useless but also ineffective,” he said.

Instead of worrying about time logged, the team focuses solely on tasks.

“To us, it doesn’t matter whether that’s completed in one hour or takes the entire day, as long as it’s finished on time,” he said. “What we’ve realized is that this has been an excellent motivation for employees to get productive, finish their work even faster, and enjoy the rest of the day to themselves.”

Transitioning to reduced workhours might incur a change in your systems and structures — and a project-based, task-based approach could end up working best for you.

4. Weigh the impact on customers

Finally, before making major changes to your organization, it’s important to weigh the potential impact on customers or other crucial stakeholders.

“Consider how your customers may be affected,” Touesnard said. “Bear in mind your customers’ expectations and make sure you can still meet them. This may mean staggering individual work schedules to make sure there’s always someone at hand when needed.”