If the office genie had three wishes to grant, most of us would ask for a long lie-in, a shorter day at work and to be home again before it gets dark.
Some lucky Scottish employees must have rubbed a lamp up the right way because they’ve had their traditional 9-5 replaced by a six-hour day.
But this isn’t about about shirking. It’s about getting the job done in less time, boosting productivity and having happier employees.
Glasgow digital marketing firm Senshi is following a Swedish model that allows staff to work from 9.30am to 3.30pm.
Boss Chris Torres reckons the average working day is far too long and staff struggle to concentrate for that amount of time.
At Senshi they work six hours, take screen breaks every 45 minutes and have a 30-minute lunch – with staff getting paid the same wage as before.
Some Swedish bosses implementing a six-hour working day say staff are motivated to work more intensely – without distractions such as social media and long, drawn-out meetings – and have the added incentive of more time to enjoy their personal lives.
It’s an idea starting to attract more interest in the UK, with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn already pledging to discuss proposals to reduce the working day to six hours as part of Workplace 2020, a consultation on workplace and workers’ rights.
Bosses already seem to be supporting the cultural shift, according to a recent survey by office space planner Crown Workplace Relocations.
Its results showed a cut in hours could be beneficial for business, with bosses’ support increasing in major cities – peaking at 88% in Glasgow.
Some HR professionals reckon it’s time we all learned to work smarter, not harder.
No surprise, given they’re at the sharp end when dealing with employees’ stress and sick days. They’re keen to highlight more leisure time increases mental and physical wellbeing, improves relationships with family and friends, boosts creativity and makes for a happier workforce. And that means an easier life for the HR Manager!
The six-hour day isn’t going to be possible for everyone – long-distance lorry drivers or the crew of the International Space Station, for instance.
But for bosses, recruiters and HR professionals it’s a great way of keeping hold of top talent – after all, who wants to leave a company offering shorter hours?
We can’t promise they all have a six-hour day, but for the best HR, Recruitment and Training vacancies see s1jobs