Why we chain ourselves with 40h of work?

It's not the first time I read about companies changing the classic 40h workweek for their employees. This weekend I found an example of a german company:

In Bielefeld (Germany) a digial communication agency started a project where everyone only had to work from 8am to 1pm, without lesser pay of course. That means the normal work week of every employee was almost cut in half. The CEO started this test in october and concluded his findings february this year. His premise was:

Working highly concentrated for five hours, can produce the same result as the usual eight to nine hours!

What the CEO changed exactly

1. Cutting the work time (as mentioned above)
2. More structured day to day business
3. Fixed meeting times without open end discussions
4. Fixed telephone times
5. No targed agreements on employee level. Stating that it would to lead to a competitive culture within the agency.
6. No overtime, home office or weekend work
7. No private smartphone on the desk

So what happened to the agency?

After the test was concluded the findings were obvious. The turnover was the same and in the end stage also slightly higher than bevore and the employees were happier even when it was an adjustment in the beginning.

Why an adjustment you ask? When we are used to work for 8 to 9 hours, we are used to drift a little bit in our workdays. Meaning we are on facebook, we are chatting with collegues, etc. Cutting this out and starting to work focused for these few hours is a change in our day to day routine, that can be challenging.

Why am I telling you this?

I think the above example is not a solution to our - at least for me - broken system. But it is a start. Because here we can see that many companies don't need a 8h day. They are just used to it. And the CEO's fear change. They fear that their turnover would be smaller and so on. But when the turnover stays steady, suddenly many people are free to do what they truly love. And I bet it's not being in a office the whole day. And it's also not staying home watching TV in their free time.

I think many of these people will start learning new things, thinking about the world, the system, starting to help themselves and then other people. Because they have the two things they need for doing so:

SECURITY and TIME

So how can you get this life without being a CEO yourself?

I have no answer, which would work for everyone. But at least I have an answer which worked for me and may also work for others.

I myself work in a middle sized company. A few years ago I wanted to work less and since I didn't need so much money to life as I wanted to I asked my boss to cut my paycheck by 20% so I could work only 4 days a week. At the beginning, he didn't want to. He came up with all kind of excuses that he needed me full time, and when I start it others will follow, but I was persistent. And he gave in.

After about 6 month we had lunch together and I showed him my list of successes and doings I finished in less time than before. We both concluded that I did the same amount of work in this time. Another 6 month later I earned the same again as I earned when I was working full time.

The great thing is. He was right by saying that others will follow me. As of today three other colleagues of mine cut their work time and ended up earning the same as before after a period of time testing it.

As I said above. It will not work for everyone. But maybe for YOU. And if enough people start doing this maybe we change our classic 40h work week system for good.

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