working hours essay

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Recently, I told a group of graduate students that it’s possible to finish a dissertation and have a happy scholarly career while working 9 to 5. I think they were cheered and shocked, and I only later realized there might have been a lot of confusion. It’s hard to talk about working hours and academics partially because we have what others have called a culture (perhaps even cult) of “busyness,” partially because of the collapse of the 40-hour work week, and partially because academic work is a gas that will expand to fill all the time available.

So here is an attempt to clarify.

When I was in graduate school, a very productive friend explained that he got so much done because he worked 9 to 5. And when he was working, he was really working, not just hanging out in the teaching assistant office whining about how much work he had to do (something I spent so much time doing that I should have gotten a degree in it). I was convinced that working 9 to 5 would be a reduction in the amount of time I worked — work seemed to loom over my life the way Godzilla looms over a city. After all, I was working evening and weekends.

Once I tried to make a schedule, however, I discovered that my sense of how much I worked was charitable — in fact, I’d really start work at about 10 a.m. (after I’d gotten coffee, read various things, sharpened pencils, and engaged in other forms of dithering), and work till about 4 p.m., with a couple of breaks for coffee and one for lunch. I’d work an hour or so most evenings and several hours on Saturday and Sunday. But, since I was working about 25 hours during weekdays, even picking up the evenings and weekend work got me to under 40 hours a week, or what I was actually expected to work (and what the taxpayers who paid my salary generally worked).

I was spending a lot of time in a fairly draining world of neither work nor play — not fun, and so not a world that rejuvenated me in any way, but also not really work, and so not a world in which I was getting anything useful done. I wasn’t exactly the long-suffering martyr I was imagining — in fact, I needed to work more.

Of course, one can’t really work 9 to 5; to get in eight hours of work in a day, there has to be time for breaks, breathing, and lunch, and so it’s really at least 8 to 5. But, still and all, what would it mean for me to put in eight hours of work a day? It would mean that I had to work a lot more than I was, and engage in workiness a lot less than I was.

Later, when I became an assistant professor, and had a heavy administrative responsibility (which should never happen to an assistant professor), I really was working a lot every day — far too much. I once threatened my first book would be “About the Photocopier,” since I wrote so much about it. The solution, it turns out, was to set limits on my work — no working on Sunday, and none after 10 at night. After a while, it turned into no working on Sunday, and none after dinner. I didn’t always keep to that rule, but, and this is the important point, I no longer felt guilty for taking time off; I felt guilty for working during those times.

And it’s no surprise to anyone who knows anything about the research on worker productivity, but I became more productive. Working however many hours I was working was making me get less done and do it worse.

Academic work is in bits and spurts, and so this isn’t to say that you never work more than a 40-hour week, but that, in my experience, setting a goal of working (and I do mean really working) 35-40 hours a week, on average, will enable a person with a reasonable workload to get everything done that needs to get done. There are, however, a lot of parts to this — knowing how much you’re really working, being honest with yourself about whether it is really working, having a reasonable workload, and keeping an eye on the concept of “average.”

A few years ago, I began obsessively keeping track of my time. I had been invited to mentor associate professors, and, knowing that I could fool myself about my own working schedule, I decided to find a way to be accurate in any advice I gave them about time management. And so I started using an app designed for people who bill by the hour that enabled me to track my time minute-by-minute. And I turned up pretty much what all the other research on the topic shows: on average, I worked 40 to 45 hours to get 35 to 40 hours of real work of decent quality. While I often had weeks in which I worked well over that amount of time, the next week I would work much less, or, and this is the important point, I would take longer to do things, and do worse work.

In general, I spend 20 to 30 minutes on each paper I grade, unless I’ve been working more than 40 hours for several weeks, in which case I take 45 minutes to an hour. I can usually read scholarship at the rate of about two minutes a page, or four minutes for something complicated and challenging. If I’ve been working too much, then it takes me about twice as long, and even reading more slowly, my reading comprehension obviously drops.

The worst of all decisions is to carve time out of sleep for more than one night in a row. Depriving myself of sleep to get a task done will get me through about 24 hours, but if I don’t quickly make up the sleep, I either start walking into walls or I get sick. Or, as  Sara Robinson says in her summary of the research, “every hour you work over 40 hours a week is making you less effective and productive over both the short and the long haul.”

Keeping track of my time makes clear to me that I am still a bad judge of how much I am working. There have been many times that, before looking at my weekly work total, I think to myself that it’s going to have been a 45-hour work week, and it’s a 37. Why? Because one of those days was a 12- or 14-hour day, and so, for several of the other days, while I was probably on-site and at my desk (or in a classroom or meetings) for 45 hours, I didn’t work that amount. I wasted a lot of time. I was burned out, and burning time.

And that brings up the macho performance of busyness. Often, when I mention trying to work less, people will tell me that they work 50 or 60 hours a week, and that they couldn’t possibly cut back to 40. There is a oneupsmanship with working in our culture, and the sheer number of hours is some kind of winning hand. But that raises the question of whether they are really working for all those hours. Or, to put it another way: would they have produced more if they had worked less, or worked better for the hours they worked?

So, to go back to the original question posed to me by the graduate students: Can you succeed in academia working 9 to 5? And the answer is yes if that means really working for 40 hours a week, on average. There are other “ifs” — such as whether you’re working on the things on which you should be working — so working 40 hours is not a guarantee of success.

But, and this is the important point, neither is working 60 hours a week.

One of the problems with how we think of our lives is that we have a fantasy of the world that is a year from now. There is a tendency to think of the academic career as a series of hurdles, for which we have to work ourselves up. Life will be miserable in the spurt that gets us through the comprehensives (or QEs) and horrible through the spurt that gets us over the dissertation and past the hurdle that is tenure.

What I have learned, sometimes at a fairly high cost, is that that vision of the academic career is a way of working toward a life one will never have. We are in this life now. Graduate school is no different from the life of an assistant professor (if anything, graduate students have far more time than assistant professors); there is always the difficulty of balancing teaching, scholarship, service to one’s work, service to the community, personal time, helping one’s family, getting the oil changed, waiting for the fridge repair person. That never changes. So, instead, of hoping for some time that everything will be O.K., graduate school should be a time of acquiring the habits that will make all that balancing more joyful. Graduate school isn’t preparation for a career; it is the career.  

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Good Essay About Working Hours And Performance

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Workplace , Employee , Performance , Employment , Health , Time Management , Schedule , Strategy

Words: 1000

Published: 11/02/2022

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The effectiveness of employees’ performance depends on the nature of the work, the working environment, and particularly the work scheduling. Based on this approach, different areas and occupations have different working schedules for their employees across the world. For instance, in the USA, the employees have to work for 1,794 hours annually, while the Germans tend to work for 1,433 hours annually. It reflects that there is a great difference in the working schedules and strategies of these regions. However, the effectiveness is compatible in both the cases. Therefore, the paper discusses the pros and cons of working hours to be 40 or 30 per week.

Pros and Cons of Strict Working Schedules

Across the world, different regions have been following different working schedules, and certainly have been producing effective outcomes in their respective field. Therefore, both the working schedules of 30 hours per week and 40 hours per week have their significant pros and cons. The fixed schedule of 40 hours a week has resulted in considerable improvement in the employees’ performance through the enforcement of ‘Obamacare Act’. It makes the employees dedicate their 8 hours per day five times a week. In this regard, the employees working for more hours are paid overtimes as per the nature of the task. The designed schedule is in accordance with the Work-Life Balance strategy that facilitates the employees to manage their personal and social life as well. However, when the success of this working strategy is compared to those who work for 30 hours a week, it seems that there are certain areas that lack in adequate management or proper utilization of the talent. Consequently, weekly 30 working hours seem to serve the insights of technological advancements. If the competitiveness still prevails, it focuses the working environment of these regions. Working hours mean involvement of a person in solely performing their jobs activities. People have to just focus on their intended tasks rather than getting indulged in other social activities even at the workplace. Since, employees are aware of the short working hours for the more complex task, their sense of accountability persists. They know they have to accomplish their tasks as extra hours will make them accountable to their management. If employees are made to work for more hours, they tend to be less creative, less productive, and even less healthy. As a matter of fact, the trend of 40 working hours per week has been resulting in notable unproductive outcomes in most of the cases. In particular cases, working for two or more hours tend to enhance the productivity, but making it a habit results in long-term impacts on productivity and personal health as well that is in accordance with “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention”. Employees’ performance in more weekly working hours reflects decreased alertness as their cognitive functioning gets affected resulting in increased fatigue that declines their vigilance towards the assigned tasks.

Managing the Employment Concerns and Compensation Benefits

In the case of employing a German professional, the greatest problem is of weekly working hours. Since Germans have the working schedule of 30 hours per week, even with productive and competitive outcomes. Therefore, making a German acknowledge the 40 hours working schedule seems challenging for the HR Director. As a result of employees’ psychological responses to the working hours and environment, the German professional is going to be facilitated with a mindset of 30 working hours in a week. However, it is definitely going to affect the entire workplace environment that might result in employees’ resistance. Based on the complexity of the assigned tasks, the German will have a comparatively rigid environment that demands prompt responses. There will be an “At-Will Employment Contract” that will provide the employer to take instant decisions based on the performance. Besides, the German will be offered to work on volunteer projects for which he will be expected to serve in the work flexible hours. Pay-increment or promotion will solely depend on the performance as they are expected to perform exceptionally. More specifically, the compensations will focus on variable pay as the compensation is tied to the productivity. Besides, the employment contract will include the Non-Competition and Confidentiality clauses. In addition to this, he will also be facilitated with the opportunity of availing employee grievance procedures, sick leaves and vacations, and health benefits. Conclusively, the opportunity of flexible working hours for the intended volunteer projects is going to assist the organization in coping with other employees’ resistance at the workplace for the hiring of German professional for compressed working hours. Based on the fact that the company needs such services, the working schedule and the delegated tasks of the German will be highly competitive as they are expected to yield exceptional performance. However, the ‘At-Will Employment Contract’ will assist the company in taking decisions against him if he is not efficient and proficient with his performance. Consequently, it is performance that matters more than the working hours. Therefore, if a person is performing exceptionally even in less working hours, he deserves the best appraisal as well as similar or more salary as compared to those working for 40 hours a week and still delivering fewer outcomes.

Coote, A. (2015). Reduce the Workweek to 30 Hours. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2014/03/09/rethinking-the-40-hour-work-week/reduce-the-workweek-to-30-hours Guerin, L. (2015). Employment At Will: What Does It Mean? Talk to lawyer box END. Retrieved from http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/employment-at-will-definition-30022.html General Employment Policies and Procedures. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.uwsp.edu/hr/Pages/CEH-General-Employment-Policies-and-Procedures.aspx Leonard, K. (2015, January 7). Businesses Push for 40-Hour Workweek in Obamacare Definition. Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/01/07/businesses-push-for-40-hour-workweek-in-obamacare-definition Sherman, E. (2015). These 5 employers are rescuing the 40-hour workweek. Retrieved from Fortune : http://fortune.com/2015/10/20/40-hour-work-week-employers/ WORKPLACE Workplace Strategies that Enhance Performance, Health and Wellness. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.hok.com/thought-leadership/workplace-strategies-that-enhance-human-performance-health-and-wellness/

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The Effects of Working Time on Productivity and Firm Performance, Research Synthesis Paper

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Flexible Working Hours: The Main Benefits Essay

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Over the past few decades, an evident tradition has developed, dictating the norms of the working regime. Working hours from 9 to 5 have become a kind of anthem for many office workers. However, the latest trends force people to increasingly pay attention to alternatives. In light of these developments, the key issue is the widespread adoption of flexible working hours. Currently, workers are leaving work searching for more profitable alternatives and paying more attention to the balance of life and work. On the other hand, employers are forced to adapt, trying to respond correctly. However, current conditions show that the only option for employers is to offer flexible working hours. This paper aims to confirm this thesis by analyzing the literature.

The need to take some action in changing the working regime is highly relevant to employers. Moreover, if they do not take some timely measures, difficult times can come for most organizations. The reason for this is the phenomenon that has been called the Great Resignation. In half of 2021, about 20 million American workers voluntarily left their jobs searching for other positions (Smith, 2021). Although the pandemic partly caused this phenomenon, many people left, not agreeing with their environment. For many, work flexibility not only means not showing up to the office at set times but also the ability to have more meaningful interactions with colleagues. Pursuing these values drives people out of work, and organizations that do not implement modifications will soon be at a disadvantage.

The value of changes in the working regime and the availability of a more flexible schedule become more relevant for the workers themselves. First, such advantages allow them to realize many different opportunities. One of the most basic of these concepts is the balance between professional activities and private life. Studies show that achieving the right proportions between them can improve a person’s physical, emotional, and mental condition (Fletcher, 2021). Thus, a more flexible working regime is closely related to the quality of human life. The value of this factor has increased significantly in recent years. Consequently, the demands for a more flexible regime are also dictated by the desire to live better, which society cannot ignore.

Thus, it is clear that providing workers with flexible hours is necessary for employees to improve their life’s quality and for employers who depend on the environment. From the first perspective, a flexible regime will allow professionals to better build their lives and carry out their duties more efficiently. For employers, such changes will be just another adaptation to an ever-changing market, which the state must further promote. This transition can be achieved by borrowing remote and outsourced work techniques, combining them with a more responsive structure devoid of elements that complicate communication. With the successful implementation of such techniques, flexible working hours and the absence of the need to be in the office from 9 to 5 may soon become a new traditional form of professional activity.

Smith, J. (2021). Is flexibility key to addressing the Great Resignation?

Fletcher, M. (2021). How to improve work-life balance.

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IvyPanda. (2023, February 17). Flexible Working Hours: The Main Benefits. https://ivypanda.com/essays/flexible-working-hours-the-main-benefits/

"Flexible Working Hours: The Main Benefits." IvyPanda , 17 Feb. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/flexible-working-hours-the-main-benefits/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'Flexible Working Hours: The Main Benefits'. 17 February.

IvyPanda . 2023. "Flexible Working Hours: The Main Benefits." February 17, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/flexible-working-hours-the-main-benefits/.

1. IvyPanda . "Flexible Working Hours: The Main Benefits." February 17, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/flexible-working-hours-the-main-benefits/.

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Reduction of working hours: productivity & social benefits

The economist John Maynard Keynes wrote an essay in 1930 with the following title: “Economic Potentials for Our Grandchildren”. He predicted that given the continuous advancement of technology and the improvement of our standard of living, in this day and age, the working time should have been drastically reduced , reaching up to a minimum of 15 hours per week.

Nevertheless, the rule today – at least for the OECD countries – is still the standard of 40 working hours per week, while the pressure for more flexibility to increase the hours are intensifying.

However, the four-day work week or any other reduction in working hours , while maintaining the earnings of the five-day work week, is an idea that is gaining more and more popularity .

A key factor in bringing the issue of working time back into the public debate with regard to the future of work is the rapid technological developments in the fields of automation and digitization and their implications on the production process, which alter the content and organization of the workplace .

Reducing working hours, showing positive effects on the productivity, the health and the balance of family-professional life of employees, as well as in dealing with the climate crisis, can be a modern response to productive and social challenges of our era .

* Report synopsis by Vasilis Delis, Public Policy Specialist & Eirini-Akrivi Ntai, Economist, Co-ordinator ENA’s Social Analysis Unit

[Co-publication: ENA Institute & ThinkBee – Τhe report in Greek ]

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IELTS Essay: Laws to Limit Working Hours

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This is an IELTS writing task 2 sample answer essay on the topic of laws to limit working hours from the real IELTS exam.

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IELTS Essay: Customer Needs

Some countries have introduced laws to limit working hours for employees.

Why are these laws introduced?

Do you think they are a positive or negative development?

An increasing number of nations have enacted laws to protect average working hours. In my opinion, these laws are meant to limit exploitive practices and they are advantageous if enforced well.

Lawmakers typically argue these reforms defend employees. Before labor laws existed, it was common for corporations to require long working days under extreme conditions. Modern stipulations that limit working hours are responding to these deeply-rooted historic concerns. For example, in many developing nations, the labor laws are often not strict, leading to so-called ‘sweatshops’ where employees work long hours in dangerous environments for little pay. This mistreatment has been exposed in the media and now citizens demand better treatment. The laws therefore establish basic guidelines to prevent employees from working excessive hours.

On the whole, these laws are positive as long as they are nuanced and enforced consistently. There are many countries where such laws have been passed but in practice they are not followed and workers have little recourse to report infractions. These laws must be strictly monitored including preventing employers from firing employees who make complaints. Moreover, there are possible exceptions. A factory worker, for example, should never be required to work too many hours as they are likely earning a low wage and putting their health at risk. However, many white collar workers, such as those at a start-up, may desire to work 90+ hour workweeks due to an overriding passion for a project. The law must discriminate between these dissimilar cases.

In conclusion, labor laws related to maximum working hours are meant to safeguard workers’ rights and are positive generally depending on their execution. It is important that governments propose laws they believe are enforceable and beneficial for the whole of society.

1. An increasing number of nations have enacted laws to protect average working hours. 2. In my opinion, these laws are meant to limit exploitive practices and they are advantageous if enforced well.

• Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
• Write a clear opinion. Read more about introductions here .

1. Lawmakers typically argue these reforms defend employees. 2. Before labor laws existed, it was common for corporations to require long working days under extreme conditions. 3. Modern stipulations that limit working hours are responding to these deeply-rooted historic concerns. 4. For example, in many developing nations, the labor laws are often not strict, leading to so-called ‘sweatshops’ where employees work long hours in dangerous environments for little pay. 5. This mistreatment has been exposed in the media and now citizens demand better treatment. 6. The laws therefore establish basic guidelines to prevent employees from working excessive hours.

• Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
• Explain your main idea.
• Develop it with specific examples.
• Keep developing it fully.
• Stay focused on the same main idea.
• Finish by adding extra detail.

1. On the whole, these laws are positive as long as they are nuanced and enforced consistently. 2. There are many countries where such laws have been passed but in practice they are not followed and workers have little recourse to report infractions. 3. These laws must be strictly monitored including preventing employers from firing employees who make complaints. 4. Moreover, there are possible exceptions. 5. A factory worker, for example, should never be required to work too many hours as they are likely earning a low wage and putting their health at risk. 6. However, many white collar workers, such as those at a start-up, may desire to work 90+ hour workweeks due to an overriding passion for a project. 7. The law must discriminate between these dissimilar cases.

• Write a new topic sentence with a new main idea at the end.
• Explain your new main idea.
• Include specific details and examples.
• Continue developing it…
• as fully as possible!
• For this one, you might include some of the positive and negative.
• Finish with a strong statement.

1. In conclusion, labor laws related to maximum working hours are meant to safeguard workers’ rights and are positive generally depending on their execution. 2. It is important that governments propose laws they believe are enforceable and beneficial for the whole of society.

• Summarise your main ideas.
• Include a final thought. Read more about conclusions here .

What do the words in bold below mean? Make some notes on paper to aid memory and then check below.

An increasing number of nations have enacted laws to protect average working hours. In my opinion, these laws are meant to limit exploitive practices and they are advantageous if enforced well .

Lawmakers typically argue these reforms defend employees. Before labor laws existed, it was common for corporations to require long working days under extreme conditions . Modern stipulations that limit working hours are responding to these deeply-rooted historic concerns . For example, in many developing nations , the labor laws are often not strict , leading to so-called ‘sweatshops’ where employees work long hours in dangerous environments for little pay . This mistreatment has been exposed in the media and now citizens demand better treatment . The laws therefore establish basic guidelines to prevent employees from working excessive hours.

On the whole , these laws are positive as long as they are nuanced and enforced consistently . There are many countries where such laws have been passed but in practice they are not followed and workers have little recourse to report infractions . These laws must be strictly monitored including preventing employers from firing employees who make complaints . Moreover, there are possible exceptions . A factory worker , for example, should never be required to work too many hours as they are likely earning a low wage and putting their health at risk . However, many white collar workers , such as those at a start-up , may desire to work 90+ hour workweeks due to an overriding passion for a project. The law must discriminate between these dissimilar cases .

In conclusion, labor laws related to maximum working hours are meant to safeguard workers’ rights and are positive generally depending on their execution . It is important that governments propose laws they believe are enforceable and beneficial for the whole of society .

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limit exploitive practices keep under control taking advantage of workers

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if enforced well assuming they are actively followed

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defend safeguard

labor laws rules safeguarding workers

common prevalent

corporations companies

require need

under extreme conditions in bad working environments

modern stipulations new rules

responding addressing

deeply-rooted historic concerns worries from a long time in the past

developing nations poorer countries

strict severe

leading causing

so-called often termed

‘sweatshops’ factories where workers are mistreated

dangerous environments unsafe workplaces

little pay not much of a salary

mistreatment treated badly

exposed made people aware of it

demand better treatment ask strongly for fairer laws

establish basic guidelines put in place minimum rules

prevent stop

excessive too strong

on the whole overall

as long as assuming that

nuanced complex

enforced consistently everyone follows them all the time

passed enacted

in practice in reality

recourse way to complain

report infractions make complaints about breaking the rules

strictly monitored watched closely

preventing stopping

firing getting laid off

make complaints report a problem

possible exceptions potential cases outside the norm

factory worker person working in a factory

earning a low wage not making much money

putting their health at risk easy to get sick, hurt

white collar workers people with good office jobs

start-up new company

90+ hour workweeks really long hours

due to because of

overriding passion really strong desire

discriminate between know the different between

dissimilar cases different examples

maximum the most

safeguard protect

depending on in some cases

execution how they are done

propose laws suggest rules

enforceable can be enforced, followed

beneficial good

the whole of society everyone

Pronunciation

Practice saying the vocabulary below and use this tip about Google voice search :

ɪnˈkriːsɪŋ   ɪˈnæktɪd lɔːz   prəˈtɛkt ˈævərɪʤ   mɛnt   ˈlɪmɪt ˈɛksplɔɪtɪv ˈpræktɪsɪz   ˌædvənˈteɪʤəs   ɪf ɪnˈfɔːst wɛl ˈlɔːˌmeɪkəz   ˌriːˈfɔːmz   dɪˈfɛnd   ˈleɪbə lɔːz   ˈkɒmən   ˌkɔːpəˈreɪʃənz   rɪˈkwaɪə   ˈʌndər ɪksˈtriːm kənˈdɪʃənz ˈmɒdən ˌstɪpjʊˈleɪʃənz   rɪsˈpɒndɪŋ ˈdiːpli-ˈruːtɪd hɪsˈtɒrɪk kənˈsɜːnz dɪˈvɛləpɪŋ ˈneɪʃənz strɪkt ˈliːdɪŋ   ˈsəʊˈkɔːld   ˈswɛtˌʃɒps   ˈdeɪnʤrəs ɪnˈvaɪərənmənts   ˈlɪtl peɪ mɪsˈtriːtmənt   ɪksˈpəʊzd   dɪˈmɑːnd ˈbɛtə ˈtriːtmənt ɪsˈtæblɪʃ ˈbeɪsɪk ˈgaɪdlaɪnz   prɪˈvɛnt   ɪkˈsɛsɪv   ɒn ðə həʊl æz lɒŋ æz   nju(ː)ˈɑːnst   ɪnˈfɔːst kənˈsɪstəntli pɑːst   ɪn ˈpræktɪs   rɪˈkɔːs   rɪˈpɔːt ɪnˈfrækʃənz ˈstrɪktli ˈmɒnɪtəd   prɪˈvɛntɪŋ   ˈfaɪərɪŋ   meɪk kəmˈpleɪnts ˈpɒsəbl ɪkˈsɛpʃənz ˈfæktəri ˈwɜːkə ˈɜːnɪŋ ə ləʊ weɪʤ   ˈpʊtɪŋ ðeə hɛlθ æt rɪsk waɪt ˈkɒlə ˈwɜːkəz ˈstɑːtʌp 90+  ˈaʊə ˈwɜːkwiːks   djuː tuː   ˌəʊvəˈraɪdɪŋ ˈpæʃən   dɪsˈkrɪmɪnɪt bɪˈtwiːn   ˌdɪˈsɪmɪlə ˈkeɪsɪz ˈmæksɪməm   ˈseɪfgɑːd   dɪˈpɛndɪŋ ɒn   ˌɛksɪˈkjuːʃən prəˈpəʊz lɔːz ɪnˈfɔːsəbl   ˌbɛnɪˈfɪʃəl   ðə həʊl ɒv səˈsaɪəti

Vocabulary Practice

I recommend getting a pencil and piece of paper because that aids memory. Then write down the missing vocabulary from my sample answer in your notebook:

An i___________g number of nations have e_____________s to p_____________e working hours. In my opinion, these laws are m_______t to l___________________s and they are a________________s i_________________l .

L______________s typically argue these r_________s d________d employees. Before l____________s existed, it was c_________n for c_____________s to r__________e long working days u__________________________s . M_____________________s that limit working hours are r___________g to these d___________________________________s . For example, in many d_______________________s , the labor laws are often not s_______t , l_________g to s___________d ‘s_____________s’ where employees work long hours in d_____________________________s for l_________y . This m______________t has been e_________d in the media and now citizens d_______________________t . The laws therefore e_____________________s to p_________t employees from working e_____________e hours.

O_______________e , these laws are positive a__________s they are n________d and e______________________y . There are many countries where such laws have been p________d but i__________e they are not followed and workers have little r__________e to r___________________s . These laws must be s_____________________d including p___________g employers from f_______g employees who m__________________s . Moreover, there are p______________________s . A f__________________r , for example, should never be required to work too many hours as they are likely e______________________e and p_____________________________k . However, many w____________________s , such as those at a s_________p , may desire to work 9________________________s d________o an o____________________n for a project. The law must d_______________________n these d________________s .

In conclusion, labor laws related to m___________m working hours are meant to s____________d workers’ rights and are positive generally d______________n their e_________________n . It is important that governments p_____________s they believe are e_________________e and b______________l for t______________________y .

Listening Practice

Learn more about this topic in the video below and practice with these activities :

Reading Practice

Read more about this topic and use these ideas to practice :

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/03/american-immigration-service-slavery/555824/

Speaking Practice

Practice with the following speaking questions from the real IELTS speaking exam :

Work (Model answer available on my  Patreon )

• Do you work or are you a student?
• Do you like your current job?
• In the future, do you want to change jobs?

Writing Practice

Practice with the same basic topic below and then check with my sample answer:

In many countries, people are spending more time in their workplace.

Why is this?

Is this a negative or positive development?

IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer Essay General Training: Workplace Hours (Real Past IELTS Exam/Test)

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its a tricky question because when you want to say why government pose such laws, you may unintentionally think about benefits and write the benefits for the first part of question. then for the second part when you want to say these laws are positive than you don’t have anything to write.

Excellent point, Sadeq, I hadn’t thought of that!

I suppose that is a common risk in cause/positive or negative questions.

a bit wonder about your body 2 in which you are supposed to prove why this reform is positive not about how this policy should be enforced.

Yes, I see what you mean.

I took the tactic of assuming they are inherently positive and then just pointed out the cases when they could be negative (not enforced, enforced too rigidly).

That strategy works find but you could also answer more directly why they are positive/negative – though you could have the issue where you basically just repeat the cause from body 1 in that case.

Yeah, I have the same wonder as well. I think the body 2 should talk about why this is positive and list the advantages.

It’s a slightly roundabout way of arguing that it is positive – it is positive if enforced in a certain way.

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Working Hours

By: Charlie Giattino , Esteban Ortiz-Ospina and Max Roser

Work is a central part of our lives. It is something we do almost every day, for much of the day, for decades on end. Because it is so central, looking closely at how much time we spend working can tell us a lot about our lives and the societies we live in.

How much do people around the world work? In many countries today, people work much less than in the past 150 years. Working less means being able to spend time becoming more educated or simply enjoying leisure time.

This is substantial progress, but there are still huge inequalities across and within countries, and progress still to make.

Here we present the data on working hours. We explore how it differs across countries and over time and how these differences matter for people’s lives.

Research & Writing

Are we working more than ever?

Working hours for the average worker have decreased dramatically over the last 150 years.

Charlie Giattino and Esteban Ortiz-Ospina

Do workers in richer countries work longer hours?

Workers in richer countries tend to work fewer hours than those in poorer countries.

How are working hours measured and what can we learn from the data?

The primary way to measure working hours is with surveys, but the data can have limitations that are important to understand.

Interactive charts on Working Hours

Cite this work.

Our articles and data visualizations rely on work from many different people and organizations. When citing this topic page, please also cite the underlying data sources. This topic page can be cited as:

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Reuse this work freely

All visualizations, data, and code produced by Our World in Data are completely open access under the Creative Commons BY license . You have the permission to use, distribute, and reproduce these in any medium, provided the source and authors are credited.

The data produced by third parties and made available by Our World in Data is subject to the license terms from the original third-party authors. We will always indicate the original source of the data in our documentation, so you should always check the license of any such third-party data before use and redistribution.

All of our charts can be embedded in any site.

Our World in Data is free and accessible for everyone.

Help us do this work by making a donation.

Understanding the Concept of Time: what are the Hours?

This essay about the concept of hours explores their origin significance and impact on human life. It traces the historical development of dividing the day into 24 hours beginning with ancient Egyptian and Babylonian timekeeping systems. The essay discusses how hours structure social and economic activities emphasizing their role during the Industrial Revolution and in modern work schedules. It also examines the cultural and well-being implications of rigid time structures highlighting the rise of flexible work arrangements. Additionally the essay considers the influence of technology on our perception and management of hours in an interconnected world.

How it works

Time is a big deal for us humans—it’s the backbone of our daily routines cultures and how we roll as societies. Hours those neat chunks of the day play a huge role in how we plan our days get things done and keep track of life’s journey. But where did hours come from and why are they such a big deal in our timekeeping game?

Think of hours as slices of the day each one marking a twenty-fourth of the Earth spinning on its axis.

This idea goes way back starting with ancient folks who watched the sun and stars. The Egyptians get props for one of the first time setups—they split the day into 12 hours of light and 12 of darkness. That system caught on and laid the groundwork for how we count hours today.

As timekeeping got fancier with better stargazing and math skills the Babylonians joined in. They rocked a base-60 number system (yeah it’s called sexagesimal) that made hours minutes and seconds way more precise. The Greeks and Romans dug this vibe and spread it across Europe. Then came medieval times and mechanical clocks—these bad boys made hours legit and kept everyone on the same page about when stuff had to happen.

Hours aren’t just about ticking off minutes; they’re the backbone of our social and work scenes. Think back to the industrial revolution—it turned hours into strict shifts for work chill time and sleep. Factories and offices relied on this schedule to keep things running smooth making sure everyone was on time and getting stuff done. Hours became the boss of productivity and how we all got along in society.

Fast forward to now and hours are everywhere in our lives. Work shifts school bells buses—everything rolls on hour time. Time zones popped up in the 1800s to sync up hours across the globe making sure folks in different spots all hit the same hour. It’s key for worldwide chats and doing biz across borders.

But not everyone’s a fan of hour power. Some say our clock-watching ways stress us out and box us in. Imagine chilling on “island time” in the Caribbean—way more chill than the rush-rush of Western clocks. The push to always be on time can grind us down especially in high-pressure jobs that never let up.

How we handle hours can mess with our health too. Studies show strict schedules can ramp up stress leading to burnout especially in jobs that never hit pause. That’s why flex time and remote work are catching on—they give us wiggle room to balance work and life how we need to. It’s all about finding that sweet spot where we can hustle without losing our cool.

Tech’s also flipped our hour game upside down. Smartphones and computers keep us locked into time reminders 24/7. They help us stay on track but also blur the line between work and play. We’re plugged in across time zones living in a global world that’s always awake and buzzing. It’s cool for connecting but means we gotta stay nimble with our time juggling act.

In the end hours are the heartbeat of our daily grind—they shape how we roll in life and keep our world spinning. From ancient roots to modern moves hours keep us in check. But balancing their power with our well-being’s a must. As we cruise through the twists and turns of life our hour dance will keep on evolving showing how we live work and roll with the world around us.

Remember this essay’s a good place to start. If you’re after more help or a top-notch essay hit up EduBirdie—they’ve got your back.

Cite this page

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It’s time to put the 15-hour work week back on the agenda

Adjunct Professor, Business School, University of Technology Sydney

Disclosure statement

Anthony Veal does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

University of Technology Sydney provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation AU.

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A strange thing happened on the way to the leisure society.

It was once widely anticipated that the process which saw the standard working week fall from 60 to 40 hours in wealthy nations over the first half of the 20th century would continue.

As we now know, this did not happen. The official working week has not fallen significantly in several decades. Average working hours per household have increased. The effect is that many feel that life is now less leisured than in the past.

But why should it be?

Working fewer hours was once seen as an essential indicator of economic and social progress. I explore this history in my book Whatever Happened to the Leisure Society?

It’s time to put reduced working hours back on the political and industrial agenda.

There are strong arguments for working fewer hours. Some are economic. Others are about environmental sustainability. Yet others have to do with equity and equality.

Economists on board

In 1930 the economist John Maynard Keynes speculated that technological change and productivity improvements would make a 15-hour work week an economic possibility within a couple of generations.

A biographer of Keynes, the economic historian Robert Skidelsky, revisited those predictions in his 2012 book How Much Is Enough? He proposed legislating maximum hours of work in most occupations, without any reduction in output or wages, as a way to to achieve a more sustainable economy .

He is not alone. According to a report by the New Economics Foundation , a London-based think-tank, making the normal working week 21 hours could help to address a range of interlinked problems: “These include overwork, unemployment, over-consumption, high carbon emissions, low well-being, entrenched inequalities and the lack of time to live sustainably, to care for each other, and simply to enjoy life.”

More recently, Belgian historian Rutger Bregman has argued in his best-selling 2017 book Utopia for Realists that a 15-hour work week is achievable by 2030, the centenary of Keynes’ prediction.

Broader motivations

Second and third-wave feminism tended to concentrate on women’s access to the labour market, equal pay for equal work, child care services, parental leave and flexibility, and men doing a greater share of unpaid domestic work.

More recently, writers such as Nichole Marie Shippen , Cynthia Negrey and Kathi Weeks have argued that the quality of life would be generally improved if working hours were reduced for all.

British ecologist Jonathon Porritt described the leisure society as a “mega-fantasy” in his 1984 book Seeing Green . Many environmentalists agreed. As Andrew Dobson noted in his 1990 book Green Political Thought , they looked at the consumer-orientated, environmentally damaging, industrialised nature of the leisure industry and saw a future anathema to the green ideal of self-reliant and sustainable production.

But views have changed within environmental circles. Canadian Anders Hayden argued in his 1999 book Sharing the Work, Sparing the Planet that working less would mean lower resource consumption and therefore less pressure on the environment.

Some critical and neo-Marxist writers have viewed reduced working in the formal capitalist economy as a means of fundamentally changing it, even hastening its demise. The late French/Austrian sociologist André Gorz , first advanced the idea in the 1980s.

In The Brave New World of Work (2000), German sociologist Ulrich Beck calls on progressive movements to campaign for a “counter-model to the work society” in which work in the formal economy is reduced. In the Mythology of Work (2015), British sociologist Peter Fleming (now based in Australia) proposes a “post-labour strategy”, including a three-day work-week.

The Take Back Your Time organisation based in Seattle, argues the “epidemic of overwork, over-scheduling and time famine” threatens “our health, our relationships, our communities, and our environment”. It advocates for fewer annual working hours by promoting the importance of holiday times and other leave entitlements, including the right to refuse having to work overtime.

No time like the present

Despite these arguments, current prospects of working fewer hours without any reduction in wages seem unlikely. Wages are static. The pressure from employers is, if anything, to expect more hours.

In Australia the last great success in reducing working hours was 35 years ago, in 1983, when the Australia Conciliation and Arbitration Commission endorsed a 38-hour working week. Now reducing hours is not on the agenda of a union movement weakened by decades of declining membership.

But the 20th century did not begin with a strong union movement either. There were plenty of excuses not to reduce working hours, including the Great Depression and the economic deprivations of two world wars.

Few employers supported reduced working hours. For the most part they bitterly resisted union campaigns first for a ten-hour and then an eight-hour day (and five-day week).

Among the few exceptions were William Hesketh Lever (co-founder of Lever Brothers, later to become Unilever) and Henry Ford, who saw the potential for increasing productivity from a less fatigued workforce. Now countries such as Germany and Denmark demonstrate that working fewer hours is quite compatible with economic prosperity.

This month marks the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 24 of the declaration states: “Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.” All members of the United Nations that have formally endorsed the declaration have, inter alia, endorsed leisure as a human right.

Not so long ago the age-old desire for more leisure and less work was a key part of the industrial and social agenda. Are we now content just to complain about lack of time? Or should we be seeking to do something about it?

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IELTS Writing 2 Topic: People tend to work longer hours nowadays

Updated On Feb 29, 2024

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The Essay Writing section of the IELTS Writing Module can be a difficult task for many IELTS Aspirants. Thus, it is vital that you polish your essay writing skills before attempting the IELTS.

Below is a sample IELTS Essay for the IELTS Essay topic:

People tend to work longer hours nowadays. People say that working long hours has a negative effect on themselves, their families and the society, so working hours should be restricted. Do you agree or disagree?

Opinion Essay

Introduction

Sentence 1: Introduce the given topic

Sentence 2: Clearly and directly state your point of view with one short and simple sentence

Paragraph 1: It damages relationships with family, disrupts social lives and impedes communication activities. It also causes a feeling of depression and a psychological disturbance that is suffered by many jobholders.

Paragraph 2: Not only it leads  to the low quality of work but also to higher absenteeism and turnover.

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Restate your opinion with a clear and direct sentence

Sample Essay

In the modern world, working continuously for long hours has become a topic for discussion, especially at the time when employees’ benefits have been given a serious thought. Considering the extension of working hours seriously, I am supportive of the argument that long working hours have a negative influence on employees, the organizations they work for, and ultimately upon the general economy and society as a whole. In the forthcoming paragraphs, I will be highlighting my opinion.

For individuals working for longer hours, there are two issues. It not only damages relationships with family, disrupts social lives and impedes communication activities but also causes a feeling of depression, a psychological disturbance that is suffered by many jobholders. It also exerts pressure on the employment market, and in turn, reduces the number of job vacancies.

For corporates, working incessantly, it has destructive effects in the long run. The primary reason is that staff tend to be less productive and are at greater risks of sickness. It would lead not only to the low quality of work but also to higher absenteeism and turnover. Therefore, employers have no choice but to spend much more on recruiting and training new employees. To a country in general, it has chronic impacts, preventing the optimization of resource and human capital.

Although some people might argue that it is reasonable for an employer to expect flexibility during a specific busy period, tolerance of this practice would enable employers to exploit labour and omit the benefits that employees deserve.

In light of the above discussion, working long hours is not acceptable in any manner. In short, this would lead to frequent sick leaves and low productivity, thereby doing more harm than good to people and the corporates as well.

• Psychological disturbance
• Incessantly
• Destructive
• Absenteeism
• In light of

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 The grave competition among businesses and people, at large, has been conspicuously intensifying nowadays, and with it, the working timings have been extending exponentially. This has exacerbated the work-life balance of employees today and hence should be tapered off vigilantly. I will be putting forth my standpoint on this issue in the forthcoming paragraphs of this essay.

As the population grows, struggle blooms and hence, the dearth of employment thrives as per which an employee faintly survives. It is incontrovertible that an individual matches up the pace with employment and all-time sky-rocketing survival thresholds. Even for the businesses to flourish and as the struggle to conquest over everyone else sustains, the employees working in the segment are the ones who are marred the most. This trend not only denudes the working professionals off their own personal lives but also germinates the seedling of various disorders resulting from working incessantly. The time that could have been invested in the happy hours of the family is vigorously being taken over by the working regime. This often points towards incoherence among the family members and obliterates the relationship.

Various underlying health anomalies including hypertension, stress, migraine and even cardiac errata have been resurfacing more than ever in the present time. Secondly, to have its employees drudging ceaselessly, companies often have to bear the losses due to the least outcome and yield from them and hence couldn’t harness the most optimum benefit out of them. This indeed is an improvident usage of the human capital and thereby, squandering the labour, perspiration and time put in for the projects. People working like a trojan today inevitably attenuates on their social fronts and hence halt the most important nuance and the subset of health as a whole. 

Though to some it might look justified for extending the working hours due to the strife in the business world, it makes the employees’ lives drab and lustreless and hence, in the longer marathon, obstructs the growth of them as well as the companies they are working for. 

Conclusively, the inference made is that people work and earn to live and not live to earn, therefore the disproportionate extension of the working schedule is not only a deterrent to the velocities of businesses but also a menace to human diaspora on a whole.

Bonus question:

Nowadays many jobs are more stressful and the working day is longer. What are the reasons for this? What can employers do to help employees?

More Writing Task 2 Essay Topics

• A Number Of Different Medical Traditions Are Now Widely Known And Used
• Some People Think That Newly Built Houses Should Follow The Style Of Old Houses In The Local Areas
• Recent Figures Show An Increase In Violent Crime Among Youngsters Under The Age Of 18
• Many People Argue That In Order To Improve Educational Quality
• Should Wealthy Nations Be Required To Share Their Wealth

Also check :

• IELTS Writing Task 2
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• IELTS Sample essays
• IELTS Writing task 2 Tips
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Whitney Houston

Houston has been in the field of IELTS for about eight years and has been associated with IELTSMaterial for the last two years. As an IELTS Expert, her contributions to the articles have been informative and original. Whitney has written about 200 informative articles for IELTSMaterial.com, which enables students to learn from her expertise. Whitney is also a good researcher, and thus any new information about the IELTS test can be found on our website, thanks to her. Whitney completed her graduation in Creative Writing at Glasgow University, Belfast. Having seen her foreign peers struggling to prepare for IELTS to find jobs abroad kindled her, and she began learning the techniques and strategies to crack the IELTS test to help her peers.

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Posted on Mar 30, 2022

As there has been and advancement in the society and economy, there has been a drastic increase in the work load to sustain the growth. It involves working for extremely long hours to achieve the desired result. It is argued that working long hours has negative impact on lives and should be restricted and I agree with this notion.

Firstly, working long hours ruins an individual’s work life balance. It plays a destructive role in shifting an individuals priority from his family and health to solely work. It causes a rift in families especially with young kids that need a parents attention. As a result, it has an impact on a person mental health . Working long hours sets a precedent in the society that it is the sole pathway to success and achieve one’s dream thus creating a herd mentality driven by working long hours.

Secondly, working hours does not always guarantee success. The concept of diminishing returns explains that the more an individual works, his ability to produce top quality result decreases. It increases the chances of mistakes exponentially, leading to constant rework. In spite of the workload , we need to limit working hours and focus on innovative methods to deal with the quantum of work. Restricting work hours would allow individuals to find means to complete work efficiently. Companies would be forced to develop and focus on tools that allow the quantum of work to be completed in a limited time. This would lead to great technological advancements such as the concept of supply chain management that makes work more efficient.

In conclusion, restricting work hours would lead to effective output, more family bonding and healthier and productive workforce.

Posted on Mar 31, 2022

Band Score – 5

Concentrate on the correct usage of articles, nouns, verb forms, subject verb agreement and punctuation.

Since it is an opinion essay, you are required write about one line of contrast in a separate body after presenting two body paragraphs supporting your views.

Pay attention to spellings/ words in a context and proper spacing between words.

Use C2 level of words.

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A Guide to Implementing the 4-Day Workweek

• Ashley Whillans
• Charlotte Lockhart

As organizations continue to explore a variety of flexible work options, one promising avenue is the four-day workweek: The standard 40 hours per week is reduced to 32 hours, with the same pay and the same productivity expectations. Research suggests reducing hours can benefit both employees and employers, but it can be difficult to go from the idea to a successful implementation. In this piece, the authors — a researcher who studies time, money, and happiness and the CEO of a global nonprofit focused on the future of work — outline a six-step guide to help leaders plan, pilot, and roll out a four-day workweek. While no change comes easily, the authors argue that companies willing to embrace models like the four-day workweek will find the experimentation well worth the effort.

Working less can reduce employees’ stress — without sacrificing productivity.

In June of this year, Kickstarter became the latest in a string of organizations to announce they are experimenting with a four-day workweek. Its employees will be working 32 rather than 40 hours per week, while being expected to achieve the same productivity levels and earning the same pay. Though some recent studies on the efficacy of the four-day week have been overblown in the media , research suggests that reducing work hours can decrease employee stress and improve well-being without impacting productivity — but only when implemented effectively.

Why high-salary jobs with long, inflexible hours exacerbate the gender pay gap — and what to do about it.

• Ashley Whillans is an assistant professor in the negotiations, organizations, and markets unit at the Harvard Business School School and teaches the “Negotiations” and “Motivation and Incentives” courses to MBA students and executives. Her research focuses on the role of noncash rewards on engagement and the links between time, money, and happiness. She is the author of Time Smart: How to Reclaim Your Time & Live a Happier Life (Harvard Business Review, 2020).
• CL Charlotte Lockhart is a business advocate, investor, and philanthropist with more than 25 years of experience in multiple industries both locally and overseas. As CEO for the 4 Day Week Global campaign, she promotes the benefits of a productivity-focused and reduced-hour workplace. She is on the board of the Wellbeing Research Centre at Oxford University and the advisory boards of the U.S. campaign and the Ireland campaign for the four-day week.

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Band 7+: Although countries with long average working hours are economically successful, This often has some negative social consequences. To what extent do you agree or disagree

Many countries with prolonged working hours are successful for their economical growth; however, this has some adverse social effects. I agree with this statement because it leads to an unbalanced work-life balance, resulting in lower-birth mortality.

Prolonged working hours can lead to lower birth mortality. Because of an imbalanced work-life balance, people do not have enough time to spend with their partners, leading to fewer chances of planning for a child. This leads to decreased population growth and burdens the country’s economy to keep up with larbour shortage. For instance, in Finland, the government has made a strict four-day work policy; people have more time to focus on their personal lives. Indeed, the Finnish government is willing to pay child benefits for people planning to have kids. Thus, if long working hours would linger around, it can adversely affect the country’s population.

Double duties can lead to social consequences like burnout and less time for socialization. For instance, in China, many companies have strict working policies that force people to work for 12 hours; as a result, many people do not have enough time for themselves and socialization, resulting in developing mental health issues like depression and anxiety. Thus, in the long term this leads to decreased productivity because of burnout and the global rise in mental health issues among citizens of the country.

To conclude, while it may be worthy for country’s economical growth , long working hours have more negative social outcomes, including lower birth rates and burnout. Hence, I agree that double duties are not worthy regardless od a country’s rising economy, because it damages people’s mental health and population growth.

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Generate a band-9 sample with your idea, overall band score, task response, coherence & cohesion, lexical resource, grammatical range & accuracy, essays on the same topic:, although countries with long average working hours are economically successful, this often has some negative social consequences. to what extent do you agree or disagree.

Many developed nations in the world achieve their substantial economic growth by extending hours of labor, which is resulting in the degrading of social life and the suffering of residents. In my opinion, I totally agree with this idea. To begin with, the economic benefits from increased working time are undeniable. A greater amount of […]

It is often argued that countries where people work longer hours tend to be more economically prosperous, yet they can also result in adverse social impacts. From my perspective, while I disagree with the first assertion, I completely agree with the second view. Long working hours are not a prerequisite for economic success, as sustainable […]

It is contended that working extended hours in many countries may yield several adverse effects on society, despite claims that it contributes to economic prosperity. I concur with this perspective. Extended working hours may not be a key driver of economic success in a country; instead, success may rely on other factors. One of the […]

It is often argued that countries where people work longer hours tend to be more economically prosperous but face significant social problems. I agree with this assertion and I would support my thesis. On the one hand, I believe that there are some reasons why working longer than administrative hours could make the country be […]

It is often argued that countries where people work longer hours tend to be more economically prosperous but face significant social problems. I agree with this assertion and I would evid my thesis. One the one hand, I believe that there are some reasons why working longer than administrative hours could make the country be […]

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Time to Take a Breathing Break at Work

Kelly is a high-performance expert and author of Intentionality : A Groundbreaking Guide to Breath, Consciousness, and Radical Self-Transformation . His mission is to help world-changing leaders implement his Intentionality methodology to find new levels of fulfillment and growth in their creative endeavors, relationships, and overall well-being

W hen we talk about effective business strategies, breathing is probably not a concept that crosses our minds. These conversations more often than not gravitate toward the conventional markers of success—market share, competitive advantage, profit margins, and growth trajectories. We picture meticulously crafted plans that map out the path to achieving corporate goals, driven by data analytics, market research, and financial projections.

But what if we took a radically different approach, one where we measured our success on prioritizing our employees well-being, rather than solely focusing on the company’s output? What if we prioritized one simple thing that we all have access to and can deploy at any time: the power of our breath.

It may seem “airy-fairy” or far leaning into the new age movement, but incorporating well-being and mental health into business strategies is starting to gain ground as a transformative trend. It turns out that a happy and healthy workforce is not just a moral imperative—it is a competitive advantage.

In an age where the business landscape is quickly evolving, the modern market demands more than just traditional tactics; it calls for a holistic approach that integrates the human element at its core, especially with the rise of AI. We’ve seen that the next generation of talent is demanding more from their employee experience, one where how they feel at work matters just as much as how they are compensated. And the truth is that companies that actively support their employees' mental and emotional health are also seeing improvements in productivity, morale, and retention.

In reports from Gallup's December 2023 poll , nearly half of U.S. adults, upwards of 45%, reported frequently feeling stress, and this is undoubtedly magnified in the workplace. Many organizations think they have a people problem when, in fact, they have a leadership opportunity. A critical component of effective leadership is identifying whether you are operating from a state of fear, or a state of love. When we are stressed our decisions and behaviors are driven from an unconscious emotional operating system and we contribute to a culture of fear-based incentivizing.

Read More: 6 Expert-Backed Ways To Manage Your Stress

The science of stress can be broken down like this: when someone faces a stressful situation, the amygdala—a part of the brain involved in processing emotions—sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus. Upon receiving the distress signal, the hypothalamus activates the sympathetic nervous system by sending signals through autonomic nerves to the adrenal glands. These glands then release the hormone epinephrine (adrenaline) into the bloodstream. As epinephrine spreads throughout the body, several physiological changes occur. The heart starts beating faster, increasing blood flow to the muscles, heart, and other vital organs, while restricting the blood cells in our forebrain. Pulse rate and blood pressure rise, and breathing becomes quicker. 

With our blood now flowing to our limbs in order to help us, quite literally, flee the situation, our cognitive processing, things like rational and logical decision-making, is impaired. We are now operating from a conditioned state of survival, but the challenge is that in the modern-day world, we’re not very good at distinguishing threats from non-threats. And if our limbic system (whose function is to process and regulate our emotions, memories, instincts, and moods) isn’t attuned to know the difference in what we perceive as threats, our decision-making abilities can quickly become compromised. For example, when receiving a distressing e-mail, your body will activate the same stress response that it would if you were evading a saber-toothed tiger back in primitive times. So the experience of dealing with the e-mail includes restricted blood flow to the conscious mind and a reduced conscious awareness of the correlating physiological responses. In essence: you forget to breathe. And this greatly reduces anyone’s capacity to make an intelligent decision or regulate their behavioral or emotional responses in a productive way.

Studies have demonstrated that various emotions correlate with distinct breathing patterns, and by altering our breath, we can influence our emotional state. For instance, when experiencing joy, our breathing tends to be steady, deep, and slow. Conversely, feelings of anxiety or anger often lead to irregular, rapid, and shallow breaths. By consciously adopting the breathing rhythms linked to specific emotions, we can effectively induce and experience those emotions ourselves.

In other words, if the order is reversed and the physiological state is consciously changed, it can have an immediate effect on the psychological state. The quickest way to do this is by employing conscious breathing. One can use the breath to reset their own system, and it can also be employed with a team to release stress and get everyone energetically connected. This can be especially helpful before a team strategy meeting, creative planning, or even at the start of each day since everyone comes in with their own stressors from their individual lives.

One such breath is an “Emotional Clearing Breath,” which can be used to change your energy and calm the nervous system down. First, a negative feeling that needs clearing should be identified. Focus on a recent event or encounter that resulted in a negative reaction. Try to get to the root of what triggered the reaction—not the act itself but what the event activated within. This will be a core emotion like feeling unworthy, unseen, unlovable, unvalued, inadequate, insignificant, helpless, or rejected.

Next, engage in diaphragmatic breathing. Use the inhale breath to fill the belly like a balloon, deepening the breath into the lungs, then empty the lungs and slightly contract the belly to release the air on the exhale. Continue to take big, deep breaths in through the nose while restricting the throat, resulting in an oceanic-sounding breath. Then exhale the air out of the mouth, keeping the restriction of the throat and maintaining the oceanic sound—as if fogging up a mirror with the breath. Once in a rhythm, repeat this inhale-exhale cycle of breath for four rounds and then take a few moments to come back to a natural pattern of breathing. Anchor into the present moment and notice the peacefulness that occurs.

What often stands in the way of our growth is our attachment to outcomes, rather than our attention to our feelings. Breath is the simplest and most effective tool that allows us to respond rather than react and override negative feelings and beliefs. Strategies that emphasize human connection, a collective purpose, and emotional intelligence are proving to be just as crucial as those centered on fiscal prudence. When we include these softer dimensions, we are not abandoning rigor or profitability. Instead, we are enhancing our capacity to connect with customers, inspire employees, and build resilient organizations that thrive in the long term.

Let's get back to the basics and reconnect with our breath as we recognize that the most successful strategies are those that balance the head with the heart, numbers with narratives, and profits with principles. These multidimensional strategies are not just a response to a changing world—they are the blueprint for building businesses that are resilient, sustainable, and truly impactful. In doing so, we will pave the way for a more inclusive, innovative, and humane approach to business that meets the needs of our time.

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many people work long hours . leaving very little time for leisure activities. Does this situation have more advantages or more disadvantages ?

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Deforestation caused by human activities is happening in many parts of the world. With serious results for the environment. What do you think can be done to solve this problem?

It is important for people to take risks, in both their professional lives and personal lives. do the advantages of taking these risks outweigh the disadvantages, some people who have been in prison become good citizens later, and it is often argued that these are the best people to talk to teenagers about the dangers of committing a crime. to what extent do you agree or disagree, the consumption of the world’s resources (oil, and water etc) is increasing at a dangerous rate. what are the causes and solutions, some people think that all university students should study whatever they like. others believe that they should only be allowed to study subjects that will be useful in the future, such as those related to science and technology. discuss both these views and give your own opinion. give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. you should write at least 250 words..

Should working hours be reduced?

physical and mental health should not be overlooked

Hodhod 4 / 2   Oct 12, 2017   #3 Excellent article, however you should numerate the alternatives of reducing the work articles like working from home some days of the week and i think giving examples and citations would be more compelling to the reader. for example; IBM company lets its employees to work from their homes to reduce the work stress and load and so on.

benh44 3 / 4   Oct 12, 2017   #7 @rubychautran Great writing! The only correction I could make is to say you may want to inject more personal opinion as to why you agree with less work hours.

BigBoy 2 / 4   Oct 12, 2017   #8 @rubychautran Hi ruby. Do you have any personal experience to back up or support your points? I think it would be necessary to include it in your argument no matter how brief. It would appear more convincing to the reader.

By Edward Wong and Ana Swanson

Reporting from Washington

If the Biden administration had its way, far more electronic chips would be made in factories in, say, Texas or Arizona.

They would then be shipped to partner countries, like Costa Rica or Vietnam or Kenya, for final assembly and sent out into the world to run everything from refrigerators to supercomputers.

Those places may not be the first that come to mind when people think of semiconductors. But administration officials are trying to transform the world’s chip supply chain and are negotiating intensely to do so.

The core elements of the plan include getting foreign companies to invest in chip-making in the United States and finding other countries to set up factories to finish the work. Officials and researchers in Washington call it part of the new “chip diplomacy.”

The Biden administration argues that producing more of the tiny brains of electronic devices in the United States will help make the country more prosperous and secure. President Biden boasted about his efforts in his interview on Friday with ABC News, during which he said he had gotten South Korea to invest billions of dollars in chip-making in the United States.

But a key part of the strategy is unfolding outside America’s borders, where the administration is trying to work with partners to ensure that investments in the United States are more durable.

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