Benefits of Reduced Working Hours
Benefits of reduced working hours
31 October 2012
ChaoYu Chen
Abstract
In recent years, the line between work and leisure has become vague and even be erased. Fortunately, this has been noticed and the trend of reduced working hours has become significant especially in developed counties. This report informs the effects of reduced working hours for people’s health by gathering data and information from other relevant researches. The result shows that shorter working hours has positive impacts on individual’s health. As a consequence, reducing working hours can possibly benefit people’s health.
Introduction
An advertising company is confronted with a problem that their workers’ health has been affecting by the culture of long time working hours. Therefore, they attempt to hire more part time workers and less full time workers. This report will provide effects of reduced working hours based on some data that from some previous researches in order to find out the benefits of short working hours. Moreover, it will give some recommendations how the company’s project can be implemented.
Findings
Decreasing working hours can affect both physical health and mental health.
Physical Health
In the physical aspect, according to Ruhm(2005)’s research which discusses the effect of reduced working hours in United States, reducing one working hour can result in 0.011 % decline of smokers, 0.017 % decrease of obese people, 0.036 % decline in physical inactivity and 0.044 % reduction in other health risks.
Moreover, Berniell(2012) did a research about the consequence of a working hour limitation law, Aubry Law, in France. This research compares the difference of people’s health in France between before and after enforced Aubry Law. In view of experiments he did, after Aubry Law has been enacted, the average reduction in
working hours in France is 3.5 hours and it results in 4.3 % decrease in smoking. Furthermore, the decline of alcohol consumption
31 October 2012
ChaoYu Chen
Abstract
In recent years, the line between work and leisure has become vague and even be erased. Fortunately, this has been noticed and the trend of reduced working hours has become significant especially in developed counties. This report informs the effects of reduced working hours for people’s health by gathering data and information from other relevant researches. The result shows that shorter working hours has positive impacts on individual’s health. As a consequence, reducing working hours can possibly benefit people’s health.
Introduction
An advertising company is confronted with a problem that their workers’ health has been affecting by the culture of long time working hours. Therefore, they attempt to hire more part time workers and less full time workers. This report will provide effects of reduced working hours based on some data that from some previous researches in order to find out the benefits of short working hours. Moreover, it will give some recommendations how the company’s project can be implemented.
Findings
Decreasing working hours can affect both physical health and mental health.
Physical Health
In the physical aspect, according to Ruhm(2005)’s research which discusses the effect of reduced working hours in United States, reducing one working hour can result in 0.011 % decline of smokers, 0.017 % decrease of obese people, 0.036 % decline in physical inactivity and 0.044 % reduction in other health risks.
Moreover, Berniell(2012) did a research about the consequence of a working hour limitation law, Aubry Law, in France. This research compares the difference of people’s health in France between before and after enforced Aubry Law. In view of experiments he did, after Aubry Law has been enacted, the average reduction in
working hours in France is 3.5 hours and it results in 4.3 % decrease in smoking. Furthermore, the decline of alcohol consumption
References: Forbes 2010, Forbes, Viewed 19 October 2012, http://www.forbes.com/2010/07/14/world-happiest-countries-lifestyle-realestate-gallu p-table.html Graaf, JD 2010, “Reducing Work Time as a Path to Sustainability, The Worldwatch Institute”, Viewed 19 October 2012, http://blogs.worldwatch.org/transformingcultures/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/Reduci ng-World-Time-as-a-Path-to-Sustainability-de-Graaf.pdf Ines Berniell, M 2012, “The Effects of Working Hours on Health Status and Health Behaviors”, CEMFI – UIMP, Viewed 19 October 2012, http://www.iza.org/conference_files/SUMS2012/berniell_m7629.pdf OECD 2011, OECD, Viewed 19 October 2012, http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/topics/work-life-balance/