How long does your work week matter most? Is it fifty, sixty, or seventy hours? If you consistently work more than 40 hours a week as a manager or employee, it's time for you to take a step. Overwhelming evidence suggests that working more than 40 hours a week is harmful not only to employees but also to the company as a whole.
Many misinformed professionals said that long work weeks are a sign of true company loyalty and a way to increase productivity. Yes, it brings results, but at what cost? Low-quality work and team morale are at an all-time low. You could find it difficult to buy into the idea of working 40 hours a week being optimal. Here, we share facts saying it's best to stick to a 40-hour work week. Because facts don't lie, and the facts
What is the problem with working more than 40 hours a week?
Feeling stressed on the job is normal. Employees can feel little or no stress on the job. A study by the American Institute of Stress backs this fact. The study suggests that 80% of workers feel stress on the job. So, stress is normal and predictable in the working world. Employees can feel stress from time to time, depending on the workload. Another thing that causes stress is extended working hours.
Working hours beyond 40 hours a week can exhaust employees and increase their stress levels. Employees may feel that they are working under pressure. Overworking is the only way to save their heads. Working more than 40 hours a week can cause many employee issues. Here, we share a few facts about how working more than 40 hours can do more harm than good.
Employees may be burned out by overwork
Research from McKinsey found that a quarter of employees may experience burnout symptoms. Overwork can make employees work beyond their limits. It can increase the risk of burnout in employees. Many employers don't deal with employee burnout. It makes things more worse. The quality of work is affected, and team morale is at an all-time low.
That sense of detachment and discouragement can spread throughout the team. Uncontrolled employees can harm your culture and cause even bigger problems, like rampant turnover. MIT Sloan Management Review states that a toxic culture is the top driver of employee attrition.
Overwork can cause low performance
Many of us think that longer working hours can result in more, but this is the opposite and is not true. In a study conducted by Slack, employees who logged off at the end of the workday registered 20% higher productivity scores than those who felt obligated to work after hours. And when science says that five hours is roughly the maximum amount of time someone can concentrate on work. So, why should one extend working hours to increase productivity? It only makes your team exhausted. It's time to hold your team back.
Being overworked in the workplace means less work is done, and the quality of work is low. One study backed this fact. It involves employees working on computers. If we look at computer activity and typing speed, employees made the most typos in the afternoons. It was true on Friday afternoons, as employees felt drained of their energy and focus. The lack of concentration and focus means more potential for mistakes and errors. So they are more prone to make mistakes and errors.
Overwork can harm your employees
Overwork may reduce productivity but increase turnover. Employees who are overworked at work have a meaningful impact on your company's performance and bottom line. It also affects your employees and harms them.
Overworking affects the employee's quality of life. Employees cannot live a healthy lifestyle, such as quality sleep, a balanced diet, or exercise. All these things can help them to increase their productivity. And this is not all overwork can harm mental wellbeing. 76% of employees agree that workplace stress affects their mental health.
The WHO (World Health Organization) study says that working 55 or more hours per week can increase the 35% risk for stroke and 17% risk of dying from ischemic heart disease when compared to working 35-40 hours per week.
What can employers do to minimise overwork?
Chronic overwork harms your employees, your team, and your entire organisation. Luckily, there are some steps you can take to minimise the overwork. So you can create a perfect workplace for your employees and lead your company in the right direction. Your employees feel that their work lives are manageable at their workplace. This can increase your productivity; even if your employees work at most 40 hours, you get quality work. Here are a few tips to save your ship.
Understand the signs of overwork
It is ideal for you to take a more proactive approach to keep overwork at bay. So, if you understand the signs of overwork, you can take action before it's too late. Here are the signs that help you catch up on how you will recognise the signs that employees are feeling overworked:
- They made more errors or mistakes.
- The quality of work is reduced.
- The team has decreased morale.
- Productivity is reduced.
- There is increased irritability.
- They are frequently absent or late.
- You have a high turnover.
Overwork often leads to burnout, which means your employees have overlapping symptoms. Make overwork a regular talking point if you are worried about missing a waving red flag that your employees feel spread thin. Sit with your employees and get consistently touched on this topic in your 1-on-1 meetings. Listen carefully to their questions, workloads, and demands. Conduct an employee survey to know if they feel overworked. Use this valuable data to increase your productivity and improve your employees' workplace.
Have reasonable expectations and workloads
It is more complex than you think. You must dig deep to understand whether employees feel overworked and why they feel that way. In an ADP Research Institute study, employer expectations, deadlines, and workloads were the top drivers of an overwork culture. So, looking closely at your employee responsibilities is important to confirm that nobody is overburdened.
It also helps you improve your performance management processes. You must ensure employees know what they need to focus on to succeed in their roles. Employees will not feel left out or disconnected and will know their roles clearly. Doing so helps them stay focused on the most important elements of their positions and prioritise their assignments and commitments. And, of course, managers should step in and help employees. They need additional guidance to reprioritise their work.
Arrange relevant training for your managers
A Society of Human Resource Management study found that 84% of workers say poorly-trained managers create unnecessary work and stress. You cannot overlook the importance of highly trained managers. With their education and methods, they can solve many issues. Their prime goal is to recognise the signs of overwork.
They manage workloads and priorities. If they see any signs of overwork or burnout, they take steps to deal with it and manage it. A manager can serve as a bridge between employers and employees. They can tell about their needs and health.
On top of that, company leaders should also lead by example. They must show healthy behaviours and avoid overworking themselves. Encourage them to be vocal and transparent about the workloads. They can easily talk about when they want to reconfigure their workloads and change unreasonable expectations. So they can take advantage of workplace flexibility and take time off for their personal obligations. After all, cultures are more often designed to the requirements.
What if you are the one feeling overworked?
Just because you are a manager, it doesn't mean you cannot feel overworked. In fact, you are the one who feels burnt out and overworked. This is because you take work more seriously than your employees or others. Like other employees, burnout also affects your wellbeing. It can be tempting to swallow your concerns and think it is best for your company or team. But it's time to realise that it cannot increase productivity. You can only spin your wheels for so long before you (and your team) are left to deal with the consequences. So, if you feel stretched to the max at work, here are some tips to help you get yourself back.
Have a candid conversation with your manager
Don't suffer in silence; talk to your manager. Request your manager for a 1-on-1 meeting so you can tell how and why you feel overworked. They will help and guide you to bring some balance back to your work life. Your manager can't help you if they don't know what's wrong with you.
Identify your real priorities
Today's managers are often stressed with unreasonable workloads. They take everything as a priority. Talking to your manager and aligning your work with priority is better. You can get clarity about what you need to focus on, what can be delayed, what can be delegated, and what can fall off your priority list.
Revisiting your team's goals and the organisation's objectives can help you align your efforts with them. You have an idea where you have to spend your time and attention. You can only focus on the most meaningful work without feeling burdened with all of the other less important tasks. If you are stuck on some difficult task, your manager should be able to help you categorise your workload.
Readjust your work schedule
Chronic overwork goes side by side with long hours. If you work more than 40 hours a week, it is overtime. Technically, yes. Overtime only matters for hourly (and not salaried) employees. Department of Labor legislation does allow certain salaried workers to be eligible for overtime pay.
Besides paycheck, if you've been working till midnight and signing on during the weekends, think again. You are not getting more. Set hard boundaries with yourself (such as signing off every night at 5 p.m.) and stick with those. Tell your manager about those boundaries so they are in the loop and can help keep you accountable.