What if the secret to performing better at work was to work less?
In any case, this is what a study published in the journal of the Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series confirms.
Carried out by researchers from Keio University in Japan and the University of Melbourne, it looked at the productivity of 6,500 workers, both men and women.
This study notably analyzed how the intellectual abilities of workers were influenced by the pace of work.
And the result is quite surprising. Watch:
According to these researchers, working 25 to 30 hours a week would be the optimal working time, especially after 40 years.
Indeed, the brain of people over 40 would no longer be able to withstand a long full week of work.
Do you find that strange?
It is true that work has also been proven to stimulate cognitive functions, but not for more than 25 hours per week.
Rest assured ! This study is very serious and researchers are convinced that working too much harms productivity.
So, would you like to work 25 hours?
So all you have to do is talk to your boss about it! And to promise him increased growth, an explosion of turnover and hyper-motivated employees.
Well... you'll still have to wait until you're 40, huh;-)
Because according to the researchers, you have to be over 40 years old for the results of this study to be verified.
From this age, employees perform better if they only work 3 days a week, instead of 5.
Cognitive tests on logic, reasoning, memory and perception of workers over 40 prove it.
Subjected to prolonged effort, their performance increases up to 25/30 hours of work then drops sharply beyond that.
This is the case for almost everyone over 40:beyond 25 to 30 hours of work, fatigue and stress take over performance.
The brain is therefore less efficient. Result:we are no longer 100% efficient
To give you an idea, the performance of people over 40 working 55 hours is equivalent to that of retirees or the unemployed.
"Work can be a double-edged sword as it can boost brain activity, but long working days can cause fatigue and stress that potentially damage cognitive functions," Prof. McKenzie, who led the study.
For researchers, a question arises:shouldn't we think about the way we work rather than wanting to work ever longer and constantly push back the retirement age?
Yes, working better rather than working more would ultimately make you more productive.
For people in the middle and end of their professional career, the idea is interesting.
Indeed, these people may tire more quickly than younger people, but their knowledge and skills linked to their long experience are a great asset.
An adapted working time would optimize their performance.
