6 Hour Work Day Don't Work?

Some time ago, an experiment with a six-hour workday began in Gothenburg. A few institutions and companies followed Toyota, but not everything went as planned and the experiment was prematurely ended.

On the one hand, the first results were very promising - the employees of the elderly care home employed by the town hall, who switched to a new work mode simply worked better - more efficiently, less frequently ill and generally were much more satisfied with work and life.

However, it turned out that they were not able to do all their work planned for 8 hours, so it was necessary to employ additional people, which consumed 12 million kroner (or about 1.6 million dollars) - it was unacceptable for the city authorities, that's why the experiment was completed.

On the one hand, this is a surprise, because in a local Toyota factory this experiment has been going on for 13 years with great successes, but it can simply result from the specifics of work, greater efficiency of mechanics means that they do all the work they have to do on a given day faster while in a sanctuary such as a nursing home, the work never ends, because carers must accompany their wards all the time. Another solution to this puzzle can simply be better management - from which Japanese car makers are famous.

So, shortening the working time turned out to be a complete flop? Definitely not, especially as with the further progress of computerization and robotization (ie broadly understood automation) work can be a solution that will protect us against a significant increase in technological unemployment. Just as the introduction of free Saturdays helped in the industrial revolutions of earlier times (one of the first was done by Henry Ford, who believed that a well-paid and happy employee is a good employee).