People at work on computers in an office at a National Westminster bank, circa 1990. ; Credit: Steve Eason/Getty Images
Work emails can be sent at all hours from smartphones and presentations prepared on laptops in coffee shops. But with an increase in flexible work schedules, are we still tied to working a traditional 40 hour week?
Americans now spend more hours working than those in Britain, Germany, France and Sweden. Plus, the number of hours spent on free time hasn’t increased in the United States since the Great Depression.
Would ditching the Monday to Friday ‘nine to five’ grind increase leisure time? Can working fewer hours make employees more productive? Or if you’re an employer, could a shorter work week lead to a decline in the amount of work completed?
Guest:
Jacob Morgan, co-founder of the managing consultancy, Chess Media Group, and author of the upcoming book ‘The Future of Work’ (Sept. 2014)
Anna Coote, head of social policy at the New Economics Foundation, a London-based think tank promoting social, economic and environmental justice.