Data analysis conducted by the Madison Business Review has revealed that working too much can lead to poor employee mental health, thus hindering productivity.
The research viewed the average of hours worked each week by full-time workers across 37 countries and the impact that had on GDP output per person. This revealed that countries who had longer work weeks were less productive.
Workers who are experiencing burnout could not only bring down overall productivity, but companies also increase the risk of losing their top talent. That is why it is essential for business leaders to identify when the quality of work starts slipping for employees, and remedy the issue to avoid further damage.
While the ideal work week ranges from 37 to 41 hours, it is important to also look at how a country’s work culture views asking for fewer hours. For instance, the average American works 41.5 hours per week with a nominal GDP per capita of $65,111. In comparison, countries in Northern Europe such as Switzerland and Denmark saw higher GDP per capita despite their shorter work weeks.
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So is there a true correlation between the amount of hours employees work and economic growth in a country? While the smaller European countries saw higher GDP per capita, the US is still a world leader based simply on productivity output. Still, workaholism has been a source of increased mental health problems and turnover rates.
However, younger generations have increasingly demanded a boost in work-life balance, which could lead to higher retention, increased job satisfaction and even more productivity.
