Think about the 8 hour work day…
8 hours each day, in an office for 230 days (subtracting vacations, weekends and holidays), for an average of 40 years of working life. Doesn’t that sound crazy?
Well, what you just read in the previous paragraph is a big lie. Well, actually, it’s crazy to think about it from that point of view. However, it is totally illogical to think that we really work 8 hours a day. To be honest, no one does.
How often do you spend 8 hours of your time at your desk working? Perhaps very rarely have you needed to do so. And it is because it is impossible to maintain concentration for such long periods of time.
Why should we end the 8-hour workday?
All human beings go through different cycles of greater or lesser mental activity; but we never remain on the same activity for 8 consecutive hours.
Our brain looks for a way to rest and that is why we distract ourselves with simpler activities; like checking the mail or looking at our Facebook account.
Also read: How long do you think you should work to be productive
Perhaps during the time of the industrial revolution where manufacturing processes required a constant physical effort of labor; these kinds of organizational politics made sense.
However, in the information age, where energy expenditure is mental; it is the brain that works, not the body. And currently almost all the tasks you do require planning, creativity, strategy and analysis.
Not all people are the same. However, the moments of highest productivity are the first hours of the morning.
By decreasing our concentration, we do less important things that make us feel busy. And without realizing that we are not being productive.
For this reason, only 3 or 4 hours a day can be considered highly productive.
This phenomenon is impossible for companies to control, since it is absurd to push an employee to be productive when they are mentally fatigued and need to recharge their batteries.
Even so, companies force their employees to remain in the offices, fulfilling an 8-hour workday. Which, in the information age, is an unnecessary and inefficient control measure.
What could companies do?
Employees have always adapted to companies. However, what if companies were to accommodate their employees a bit? It sounds complex due to the differences of each worker; nevertheless the only change is to offer flexibility.
Some companies have chosen to offer relaxation spaces and even gyms; all without having to move from the facilities. Despite being great improvements and great motivation; They are high-cost strategies that not all organizations could implement.
This is why the best solution is allow remote work. In the information age, employees are measured by their results and not by the number of hours they work or stay in their jobs. Of course, for this you have to know how to work from home.
Why is it difficult to finish the 8-hour workday?
The reason why this strategy has not been attractive to companies is mistrust. An employee with this possibility could abuse the flexibility, being absent for a long time and decreasing his productivity.
However, what is the point of keeping an employee in an office for 8 hours, with the intention of controlling him, if at the end of the day he will have worked 50% of the time?
An employee who values his work will respect what he does and will work to fulfill his duties.
While it is true that some jobs require physical presence, most activities can be done over the phone, video conferences, or simply by email.
This strategy not only reduces costs for the company, it also allows the employee to avoid the difficult transfers from his home to his place of work at critical hours; and gives you the facility to organize your schedule according to your mental energy cycle.
It may sound utopian for the organizational structure of Latin American companies. However, day by day the non-conformity of the employees with their jobs and their direct relationship is demonstrated, not only with their lack of results; but with your creativity.
Conclusion.
The 8-hour work day will come to an end, it may be in the next 20 or 40 years. It all depends on the ability of our business leaders to break existing paradigms.
Answer yourself… Don’t you think it’s worth trying?
And remember, if you are really interested in creating your own business, you can read our book “How to create a company while working: Discover how to manage your time, manage your money and motivate yourself while creating a company and working for another” , where you will find all the information you need to found your own company, without having to leave your job.
