A 30 hour work week has been adopted and considered by many companies around the world. Amazon was one of the first ones to introduce and consider a 30-hour workweek.
Even though a 40 hour work week has been a norm for almost a century now, the perspective is drastically changing. However, before any company or the employees opt for an option like this, the pros and cons should be analyzed closely. A number of pros make a 30 hour work week very impressive but there are also various factors which show why it might not be the most ideal option. Here are some Pros and Cons of a 30-Hour Work Week:
Pros of a 30 Hour Work Week
- Employee’s Mental Health
Research has proved that workaholics with a 40 hour or above work week have a higher chance of battling with mental and emotional battles which might affect them physically as well. There is also a greater chance of developing symptoms of depression. Therefore, a 30-hour workweek is indeed very beneficial for an employee’s mental and overall health.
- Work Life Balance
Even though capitalism has made us believe that work-life balance is non-existent and almost impossible to achieve but balance like that might be achievable if a 30-hour workweek is introduced. This will be a turning point for many employees who struggle to invest time to fulfil domestic responsibilities.
- Decreased Burn Out
Employees tend to complain about facing a breakdown or a burn out after tedious and tiring work weeks. Introducing a 30 hour work week might decrease the frequency of these burn out since the employees will have more time to take a break and rest as per their body’s need.
- Reduced Overhead Costs
Employers can also benefit from a 30-hour workweek in many ways. One of them will be reduced overhead costs. The company will cut their costs on utilities and many other recurring expenses which take place every other day. Their savings on these overhead costs can help them allocate and invest more towards the business costs which might be more important.
- Increased Motivation
Adopting a culture which is not as repetitive and constant as a 40 hour work week might decrease pressure on employees. Due to this decrease in pressure, there is a high chance of employee’s motivation to increase and result in improved efficiency and productivity for their 30-hour workweek.
Cons of 30 Hour Work Week
- Decreased Salaries
As many benefits of a 30 hour work week might be, there is also a disadvantage of earning less money. The employees will only be compensated for the number of hours they will be working for which might affect their financial status brutally considering that not many people can depend on savings or passive incomes.
- Adjusting To A New Change
People react differently to different kinds of changes and some employees who are workaholics by nature might not easily mould into this new change of decreased working hours. Adjusting might also take a longer period of time in which the productivity can decrease affecting the company adversely.
- More Employees Might be Required
Since the usual employees might only be available for 30 hours a week now, the company could require more manpower resulting in more time investment in recruiting people. Increased employees might cause a disorganised chain of command which will result in decreased productivity and an increment in expenses.
- Less Time for Deadlines
The employees will also be expected to finish their deadlines in a short period of time which might lead to a major decrease in quality of work. Some employees might also be unavailable to meet deadlines resulting in complaints from the clients / customers with strict deadlines and requirements from the company.
- Clients / Customers Might be Dissatisfied
The employer could accept the 30 hour work week and the client / customer might expect increased commitment and availability from the employees. This miscommunication and disappointment might impact the company in a negative way leading to unexpected losses and conflicts to arise.
Summary
Going through some of these advantages and disadvantages should now put you in a better position to decide whether or not your company should consider and analyse 30 hour workweek pros & cons. Whichever it may be, a co-working space that offers you everything you need from the tools all the way to a productive environment is essential, head down to Iconic Workspaces and check out why they might have everything you’ll need for the perfect work environment.
