For the past few weeks, I’ve been deeply reflecting on the four-day workweek trend that’s been gaining momentum in the United States. As a result, I’ve become more attentive to the actual working hours of individuals. Now, my children have become valid interlocutors on this topic since they’ve entered the workforce.
Recently, one of them mentioned that a friend was overworking. Upon inquiry, he shared that one day that week, his friend started at 9 am and didn’t return home until 9:30 pm, calling him to vent. I asked if this was a daily occurrence, and he said no. I had him ask his friend about his total weekly working hours. His friend acknowledged that it was the first time in months something like this had happened and, upon reflection, admitted that on many Fridays, he only works six hours and that the hybrid model allows him to relax, a practice he adopts at least two days a week.
We often fall into the bias of assessing our weekly work hours based on the longest day of the week.
Yesterday, I was listening to a podcast featuring Malissa Clark, an expert in personal productivity and work hours, as well as workaholism. I’m intrigued by her perspective on how the Boston Consulting Group in the U.S. is making significant efforts to reduce work hours for younger employees. This surprises and pleases me at the same time. Such consulting firms seemed to pride themselves on their teams’ long hours years ago.
When discussing this with my children again, they tell me that many of their friends feel exhausted not because of the workload but because of the hours, as they have to stay in the office since their bosses haven’t left, which is regrettable. When asked what they do during this time, they say basically whatever they like, such as browsing the internet or chatting. However, having to stay prevents them from getting to the gym, leading to late home arrivals and frustration with their company.
This reminds me of another article I read last week by Dr. Anders Hansen, about the impact of exercise on cognitive abilities, mood, and even leadership. It’s costly for the company to have people stay just because the bosses do.
Reflecting on this, I’ve concluded that there’s still much to do, but things are changing and will change even more. It’s also true that not everything is acceptable. If we want a good work-life balance, we must earn it by learning to be efficient and avoiding time-wasting, as we often do unconsciously.
We can’t expect to work fixed hours and then be inefficient during the workday.
To my children, I try not to say something I clumsily could apply to myself, which is that to be a good professional and start on the right foot, they need to be the last to leave and make a good impression. Instead, I advise them to:
- Prioritize and plan their week.
- Seek feedback from their managers.
- Commit to sports and restorative sleep.
- Stay humble and learn continuously.
- Reflect on their organization and strive for constant improvement.
I made mistakes for years, leading to burnout in 2013, resulting in poor decisions, poor outcomes, and a long list of other issues. Ironically, I now dedicate myself to helping others avoid the same fate. I’m not sure if these conversations are helpful to my children, but what I do know is that the world is moving towards that model. It’s not about warming the chair but about achieving results by understanding what it means to work smart, not harder, and ensuring our best physical, emotional, and cognitive version sustainably over time.
