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10 reasons why we should work 6 hours a day, according to science

10 reasons why we should work 6 hours a day, according to science

March 3, 2024

There is an intense debate about whether it is better to work 6 hours a day or 8 as in most companies . While some companies do not agree, others apply policies that aim to reduce the time of workers in the workplace.

Live to work or work to live? That is the question.

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Advantages of working 6 hours a day

However, What are the advantages of working 6 hours a day? In the following lines you can find the answer to this question.

1. Greater productivity

Although not everyone agrees that there are numerous benefits from working 6 hours, some researchers have found that there are. A study carried out in Sweden, which lasted about a year, concluded it.


It involved a group of nurses from the retirement home of Svarte Dalens, who worked for 6 hours with a salary of 8 hours. The results were clear, working that number of hours increases productivity and, therefore, there are improvements in the objectives of the company.

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2. Decline in stress levels

The same Swedish study, which took place in February 2015, also showed that 6 hours of work improve the welfare of workers, and makes them perceive the work environment as healthier.

There are many investigations that have shown that Stress levels decrease in 6-hour work shifts , and in the case of the Swedish experiment, showed improvements in the care nurses gave their patients. In other jobs, and as in the previous point I mentioned, they improve the economic results of the companies.


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3. Greater general welfare of workers

Work is a very important aspect of our life, and being bad at work will have repercussions on the general well-being and the daily life of a person.

Another Swedish study that took place in Gothenburg and lasted two years concluded that workers not only were they happier at work, but they were also happier at work . The benefits of six-hour work shifts are undoubted for employees.

4. Minor absences

Working six hours a day reduces the chances of getting sick and, therefore, of being absent from the job, according to the investigation carried out in the retirement of Svarte Dalens. Absences cost companies a lot of money, so the six-hour shifts are a saving for them.


According to the study "Information on Accidents and Diseases of National Work of the Mexican Institute of Social Security that was carried out between 2003-2012, Job stress is the most common reason for unjustified absenteeism . As I said before, it is reduced with the six-hour shifts.

5. Reduce labor presentism

There is a lot of talk about work absenteeism, but an opposite phenomenon that causes the same damage to the company is occupational presenteeism. Occupational presenteeism refers to being in the workplace but not working, that is, letting the hours pass. Something that not only affects the results of the company, but also The welfare of the worker also suffers .

In cases in which occupational presenteeism occurs, workers are in their jobs; however, they perform other tasks: connect to social networks, check web pages, make calls, and so on. Scientific studies suggest that six-hour shifts significantly reduce work presentism.

If you want to know more about this phenomenon, you can know more in this article: "Occupational presentism: causes and consequences of this phenomenon"

6. Greater work and family conciliation

By working fewer hours, people have more time to spend with family and for leisure time . In addition, a 6-hour schedule generally refers to an intensive shift, so that the person maximizes their work in that time. Being able to reconcile work and family life makes people happier.

7. Lower unemployment

Reducing a worker's work hours means that there is more time to hire another worker and increase the workforce, so other workers can benefit from it. Juan Armando Corbin, psychologist of the organizations affirms that "the shifts of 6 hours allow to redistribute the paid work time more uniform way in the whole population. "

8. More time to train and train

There is a lot of competition in the workplace today, so training continuously is beneficial for the worker since it allows him to be updated. Having well-trained workers is also important for the company, which benefits from their knowledge. Working fewer hours allows workers to have fewer hours to train.

9. Happier customers

Working hours of six hours a day are not only beneficial for the worker and the company, but studies suggest that customers are also more satisfied with this decision. This is what they discovered in the Toyota service centers that, after the surveys to their clients, they could verify that they were more satisfied when the employees work only six hours a day.

10. Less pollution

Scientific studies suggest that countries in which workers work fewer hours have a lower environmental impact. This is what an investigation carried out in the United Kingdom showed. What is not clear is whether the environmental impact is due to the reduction of hours in itself or the greater social awareness, which would affect both the environment and the well-being of the population .


How Many Hours a Day Should You Work? Science Backed Peak Productivity (March 2024).


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