Why Working Shorter Hours Can Make You More Productive

Many people working in professional services and other demanding careers assume that longer hours will lead to higher performance. It seems logical. However, is this assumption really accurate?

What if you could actually perform better by working shorter hours?

Experiments on Working Shorter Hours

Leslie A. Perlow (a Harvard Business School Professor) and Jessica L. Porter (a former Harvard Business School Research Project Manager) have conducted surveys and research on the work habits of professionals in the professional services industry, including lawyers, accountants, and consultants. Their surveys indicate that many work more than 65 hours each week and spend more than 20 additional hours each week monitoring emails outside the office.

Perlow and Porter wanted to see what would happen if professional services employees worked shorter, more predictable hours. They conducted experiments over a four-year period with several North American offices of the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), a prestigious management consulting firm. In one of the experiments, BCG consultants were required to take a full day off in the middle of the work week. In another experiment, consultants were required not to check or respond to emails or other messages after 6:00 p.m. one night each week.

Since many consultants strive to be available 24/7, there were many concerns about participating in these experiments. According to Perlow and Porter, “The concept was so foreign that we had to practically force some professionals to take their time off.”

Some consultants worried they would be viewed as slackers for working shorter hours than usual. Some worried they would create more work for their colleagues by being less accessible than usual. Others worried that the quality of their work would suffer and that they might even jeopardize their careers by participating in the experiments.

However, BCG was committed to this research. The firm had strong support from several senior partners. The experiments began despite initial resistance. Over time, participants’ anxiety subsided as they began to experience the benefits of their shortened schedules.

Ultimately, the experiments demonstrated that shorter, more predictable work hours could increase productivity and overall career and life satisfaction. As Perlow and Porter write, “We found that when the assumption that everyone needs to be always available was collectively challenged, not only could individuals take time off, but their work actually benefited.”

Here are four reasons why shorter hours can make you more productive:

1. Shorter hours focus you on higher-value activities.

When your time at work is limited, it becomes a more valuable resource that must be invested more carefully. Someone who has decided in advance to stop working at a specific, reasonable time must structure their schedule intentionally and bring a higher level of focus to each hour than someone who has decided to work “as long as necessary.” Shorter work hours create tighter deadlines, making you more efficient. They discourage you from wasting time during your workday.

2. Shorter hours encourage greater communication and collaboration. 

When your time at work is limited, you must collaborate, delegate, and leverage the time and talents of other people more effectively. Shorter work hours encourage you to think about which tasks you should focus on and which tasks can and should be performed by someone else. Trying to do it all by yourself becomes less feasible as your work schedule tightens.

3. Shorter hours improve your perspective.

If you are always on and thinking about work 24-7, you lose sight of the bigger picture. Working shorter hours and having adequate downtime allows you to return to work with a fresh perspective. You can think more broadly and solve problems more creatively.    

4. Shorter hours leave more time for forming stronger habits outside of work. 

When you work very long hours, something needs to give. You have to cut back on sleep, exercise, quality time with family and friends, personal hobbies, and other essential activities that reduce stress, improve your mood, and make you more productive when you get back to work. By working shorter hours, you have more time for crucial personal activities that get neglected with a non-stop work schedule.

Final Thoughts

Work can be a source of energy, intellectual stimulation, and personal satisfaction. Work can also be a way to add value to society and make the world a better place. However, you are not a robot that is capable of working at full capacity 24/7. There is a point when working longer becomes counterproductive.

References

1. Leslie Perlow and Jessica L. Porter, “Making Time Off Predictable—and Required.” Harvard Business Review 87, no. 10 (October 2009), https://hbr.org/2009/10/making-time-off-predictable-and-required.