The surprising and happy answer to getting more done at work? Don’t work so much.

By Xische Editorial, November 12, 2019

John Maynard Keynes, the famed British economist, predicted that by 2030, society would have systems and tools so advanced that we would barely need to work. Machines would do the heavy lifting and automation would streamline the process, freeing up individuals to focus on other aspects of life. Keynes was so confident in his prediction that he expressed concern about collective boredom. Britain and the United States, he argued, would need to create special “three-hour work shifts or 15-hour weeks” just to keep people busy and occupied. 

Well, 2030 is on the horizon and we certainly aren’t grappling with too much boredom. If anything, we are more overworked than ever despite the average work week in the US, Britain, Australia, and Japan declining from 48 hours in the 1930s to 38 hours today. Rather than more down time, our constant connection to others via the internet has blurred the lines between working hours and leisure time. Many of us check work emails in the middle of the night or Slack messages upon waking up. Productivity is on the rise, but with the constant demands of technology, it sure doesn’t feel like it. 

As we enter a fourth industrial revolution, this time marked by technological innovation, the nature of work and productivity will be critical to global health. Through artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, we are told that many jobs will soon be overtaken by machines. We hear echoes of Keynes’s predictions about machines freeing us from the burden of constant labour. Whether or not that is a good thing for the economy and workers is the subject of another article but suffice it to say, the relationship between working hours and productivity is ripe for review.

The so-called “productivity hack” has defined the high-octane culture of the digital elite, from uniform wardrobes to micro-scheduling to specialised diets. But with so many productivity hacks floating around have we lost sight of the real goal of productivity? The one that results in happiness and time well spent. The ultimate productivity hack is the one that maximises efficiency at work to such a degree that we can work less but achieve more. Rather than paving the way for non-stop output, this new hack embraces the work/life balance. And it is gaining popularity in unlikely places.

Japan is an unusual champion for a new approach to productivity, given the country’s ingrained relationship with overworking. The Asian powerhouse is famous for its overworked “salary men” who are accustomed to sleeping at their desks for days on end. If there is one country in the world where the work/life balance is in desperate need of an overhaul, it would be Japan. That’s why recent developments at Microsoft’s offices in Japan went viral.

Over the summer, Microsoft tested a four-day workweek in Japan as part of a programme called the Work-Life Choice Challenge. The company’s offices were closed on Fridays during the month of August, which mean spent 20% less time at work. The results were profound. Productivity, as measured by sales per employee, increased by nearly 40%, according to a press release from the company.

It’s easy to understand why consecutive three-day weekends are going to make workers more productive at work. The Japan Times notes that, “long hours cause fatigue, both physical and mental. That fatigue affects not just the last few hours of a workday, but all the hours of the next day. An employee who drags back to work after only a few hours’ rest isn’t going to be very productive in the morning. Then the next long day tires them out even more, and the punishing cycle begins again. Eventually the worker starts making little errors, slowing down and failing to take initiative to fix problems and exploit new opportunities.”

Beyond the technical manifestations of fatigue there is something much deeper at play and that’s happiness. What Keynes and Microsoft are wrestling with are how to elevate the happiness of people. Some believe that working less will bring more happiness (as long as you can manage the boredom) but there is more to happiness than a great job. It's about feeling secure in one’s society and life. This is part of the logic behind the UAE’s National Programme for Happiness and Wellbeing, which promotes happiness across society. That can take the form of Government-led awareness campaigns about the dangers of too much time online or the creation of more green spaces and national fitness challenges. There is no one form of happiness but there are a lot of ways to achieve it.

By embracing the best innovations of the fourth industrial revolution and decreasing the number of hours employees need to perform their jobs, societies can focus more energy on the promotion of happiness. Aligning all of these factors is the ultimate productivity hack and we might be closer to achieving it than you think.