Comments on: Shorter Work Weeks, Offices and Productivity http://resistmedia.net/blog/2008/04/03/shorter-work-weeks-offices-and-productivity/ This is a blog about adventures in design, and sometimes other crap. My name is Beth Dean and I'm a web designer from Cleveland Ohio. I work for Progressive Insurance as a UX Developer. Tue, 22 May 2012 00:50:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Dave @ Home and Garden Directory http://resistmedia.net/blog/2008/04/03/shorter-work-weeks-offices-and-productivity/#comment-130901 Dave @ Home and Garden Directory Thu, 09 Apr 2009 07:03:05 +0000 http://resistmedia.net/blog/2008/04/03/shorter-work-weeks-offices-and-productivity/#comment-130901 I've worked for 3 years in Japan, and ironically it's about hours, not productivity. As illogical as that sounds, the more hours you put in, the more "loyal" you are to the company. Many companies are extremely NON-competitive in Japan as they are part of a "keiretsu" (like a fixed network) so they don't need to win over customers or improve services beyond anything but acceptable as there's little to no competition to be afraid of. I’ve worked for 3 years in Japan, and ironically it’s about hours, not productivity. As illogical as that sounds, the more hours you put in, the more “loyal” you are to the company. Many companies are extremely NON-competitive in Japan as they are part of a “keiretsu” (like a fixed network) so they don’t need to win over customers or improve services beyond anything but acceptable as there’s little to no competition to be afraid of.

]]> By: Rabbit Island http://resistmedia.net/blog/2008/04/03/shorter-work-weeks-offices-and-productivity/#comment-116148 Rabbit Island Sun, 15 Feb 2009 02:31:48 +0000 http://resistmedia.net/blog/2008/04/03/shorter-work-weeks-offices-and-productivity/#comment-116148 Anna, I agree. It's about productivity, not hours. Anna, I agree. It’s about productivity, not hours.

]]> By: Anna E Commerce http://resistmedia.net/blog/2008/04/03/shorter-work-weeks-offices-and-productivity/#comment-110881 Anna E Commerce Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:50:55 +0000 http://resistmedia.net/blog/2008/04/03/shorter-work-weeks-offices-and-productivity/#comment-110881 I once worked for a company who had flexible hours (not as good as it sounds) if the work volume was low we would work less hours, great! If the work volume was high they would up our hours to as many as 45 a week, at no extra pay, sounds good in theory (for the employers) but by the last hour of each day i was so disillusioned, tired and bored that i rarely got more done than on a 37 hour week. It shows that it is important to inspire workers and reword them for there efforts, not just treat them as drones who are guaranteed to put out the same amount of work continuously. People are not robots. I once worked for a company who had flexible hours (not as good as it sounds) if the work volume was low we would work less hours, great! If the work volume was high they would up our hours to as many as 45 a week, at no extra pay, sounds good in theory (for the employers) but by the last hour of each day i was so disillusioned, tired and bored that i rarely got more done than on a 37 hour week. It shows that it is important to inspire workers and reword them for there efforts, not just treat them as drones who are guaranteed to put out the same amount of work continuously. People are not robots.

]]> By: H2O Audio http://resistmedia.net/blog/2008/04/03/shorter-work-weeks-offices-and-productivity/#comment-97102 H2O Audio Wed, 03 Dec 2008 04:50:59 +0000 http://resistmedia.net/blog/2008/04/03/shorter-work-weeks-offices-and-productivity/#comment-97102 People who over-work tend to be procrastinators - they take 8 hours to do 4 hours of work since they were surfing news / social websites for 3 of those 8 hours. The other lost hour is just "transitional" time. These people end up working 100 hours a week when they could have done the work in 40 hours. People who over-work tend to be procrastinators - they take 8 hours to do 4 hours of work since they were surfing news / social websites for 3 of those 8 hours. The other lost hour is just “transitional” time. These people end up working 100 hours a week when they could have done the work in 40 hours.

]]> By: Craft Directory http://resistmedia.net/blog/2008/04/03/shorter-work-weeks-offices-and-productivity/#comment-95744 Craft Directory Mon, 24 Nov 2008 08:57:24 +0000 http://resistmedia.net/blog/2008/04/03/shorter-work-weeks-offices-and-productivity/#comment-95744 The great fallacy of life is that the harder you work, the more you achieve. The great fallacy of life is that the harder you work, the more you achieve.

]]> By: Chonburi Jobs http://resistmedia.net/blog/2008/04/03/shorter-work-weeks-offices-and-productivity/#comment-93519 Chonburi Jobs Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:53:38 +0000 http://resistmedia.net/blog/2008/04/03/shorter-work-weeks-offices-and-productivity/#comment-93519 Overwork is typical for business owners and the self-employed. The harder you work, the more money you make (that's the theory). It can become a bad habit, as you fill your time up, other non-work activities are abandoned - and a viscious circle ensues: you no longer know what to do with your spare time....so you fill it with more work. Overwork is typical for business owners and the self-employed. The harder you work, the more money you make (that’s the theory). It can become a bad habit, as you fill your time up, other non-work activities are abandoned - and a viscious circle ensues: you no longer know what to do with your spare time….so you fill it with more work.

]]> By: Mother of Pearl Pendant http://resistmedia.net/blog/2008/04/03/shorter-work-weeks-offices-and-productivity/#comment-91086 Mother of Pearl Pendant Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:20:26 +0000 http://resistmedia.net/blog/2008/04/03/shorter-work-weeks-offices-and-productivity/#comment-91086 Agree that overwork is often a symptom of not knowing how to fill your time, or avoiding the family. It's a kind of refuge or comfort zone for some. For others who believe they can achieve more by working longer, it's a temptation to work all the hours God sends, but you will eventually run out of steam either mentally, physically or both. I think it's better to go to bed looking forward to tomorrow's work than trying to fit one hour of tomorrow's work into this evening. One day at a time. Agree that overwork is often a symptom of not knowing how to fill your time, or avoiding the family. It’s a kind of refuge or comfort zone for some. For others who believe they can achieve more by working longer, it’s a temptation to work all the hours God sends, but you will eventually run out of steam either mentally, physically or both. I think it’s better to go to bed looking forward to tomorrow’s work than trying to fit one hour of tomorrow’s work into this evening. One day at a time.

]]> By: Pashmina Fanboy http://resistmedia.net/blog/2008/04/03/shorter-work-weeks-offices-and-productivity/#comment-88047 Pashmina Fanboy Wed, 15 Oct 2008 07:24:45 +0000 http://resistmedia.net/blog/2008/04/03/shorter-work-weeks-offices-and-productivity/#comment-88047 People often overwork because they don't know what to do with their time, or want to escape the wife/family. It's not all about wanting to get more done. Overwork is a bad symptom - something is wrong somewhere - either your job is too demanding, or you're hiding out from something else in your life. If you overwork, you need to ask yourself why. People often overwork because they don’t know what to do with their time, or want to escape the wife/family. It’s not all about wanting to get more done. Overwork is a bad symptom - something is wrong somewhere - either your job is too demanding, or you’re hiding out from something else in your life. If you overwork, you need to ask yourself why.

]]> By: The Kooks Fan http://resistmedia.net/blog/2008/04/03/shorter-work-weeks-offices-and-productivity/#comment-87764 The Kooks Fan Tue, 14 Oct 2008 04:48:40 +0000 http://resistmedia.net/blog/2008/04/03/shorter-work-weeks-offices-and-productivity/#comment-87764 I work from home - have done for the last 4 years. People keep telling me how I get the motivation to work, but I *enjoy* my work. I work when I like, wear what I like, take a break when I like. I wonder how people get the motivation to crawl through an hour of traffic, small talk to people they don't want to, do work they don't enjoy, then crawl through an hour of traffic to get home - all the time wearing a shirt and tie! I work from home - have done for the last 4 years. People keep telling me how I get the motivation to work, but I *enjoy* my work. I work when I like, wear what I like, take a break when I like.

I wonder how people get the motivation to crawl through an hour of traffic, small talk to people they don’t want to, do work they don’t enjoy, then crawl through an hour of traffic to get home - all the time wearing a shirt and tie!

]]> By: Safety Anchors http://resistmedia.net/blog/2008/04/03/shorter-work-weeks-offices-and-productivity/#comment-87447 Safety Anchors Mon, 13 Oct 2008 01:52:18 +0000 http://resistmedia.net/blog/2008/04/03/shorter-work-weeks-offices-and-productivity/#comment-87447 Take a single day as an example. You work 8 straight hours, or you work 3.5 hours, take an hour off to the park and have some lunch, then return to work 3.5 hours more. During your hour off, you lie down, rest your eyes, talk with your colleagues about non-work related things - generally relax. I guarantee the latter is far more productive as you are happier, more relaxed and less bored - even though you work one hour less. The former way (8 straight hours) is ridiculous and you can bet the last 3 or 4 hours you're truly losing productivity. Take a single day as an example. You work 8 straight hours, or you work 3.5 hours, take an hour off to the park and have some lunch, then return to work 3.5 hours more. During your hour off, you lie down, rest your eyes, talk with your colleagues about non-work related things - generally relax. I guarantee the latter is far more productive as you are happier, more relaxed and less bored - even though you work one hour less. The former way (8 straight hours) is ridiculous and you can bet the last 3 or 4 hours you’re truly losing productivity.

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