Why we shouldnt work so hard.

last updated 8 January 2015

Germany

Nicola Holzapfel

Germans need to take a rest, said Nicola Holzapfel in Munich’s Süddeutsche Zeitung. The newest research on labor shows definitively that productivity starts to fall off after six hours of work—and accidents increase dramatically. In any given week, any more than 35 to 38 hours of work is wasted at best, damaging at worst. Companies that encourage their employees to linger after hours “are only hurting themselves.” They could actually get more out of their people “by sending them home early.” These findings, though, have yet to have an impact. Nearly one–third of Germans work an “overlong week” of more than 42 hours. And more than three–quarters of us do at least part of our work after 5 p.m. or on weekend shifts. The trend toward flextime was supposed to be worker–friendly, but it turns out that working those off–hours throws off our bodies and kills our social lives. The message is clear: “Work less.” And if you must log in extra hours because the boss is watching, be sure to “take lots of breaks.”