"6-hour work" has the effect of improving productivity & reducing stress but there is a problem on cost

ByHeather Anne Campbell

"8 hour labor" which is considered commonplace in Japan, but in Sweden companies and public institutions that promote "6 hour labor" efforts have appeared. While it was found that productivity was improved by reducing working hours to 6 hours, it also helped to reduce employee stress. On the other hand, there were cases of abandoning 6 hours work due to cost problems.

Swedish Six-Hour Workday Runs Into Trouble: It's Too Costly - Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-03/swedish-six-hour-workday-trial-runs-into-trouble-too-expensive

In the nursing home in Gothenburg, Sweden, experimental efforts have been undertaken to shorten the working hours from 8 hours to 6 hours with nurses' salary unchanged from 2 years ago. By reducing working hours, it seems that positive aspects have been seen, such as nurses feeling healthier than before and improving the quality of nursing care for patients.

BySima dimitric

However, the city of Gothenburg has a policy of not adopting 6 hour labor at other facilities. The big reason is the increase in cost.

As a result of introducing 6 hours of work at Göteborg's nursing home, we have newly added 17 staff and spent $ 1.3 million (about 150 million yen). Gothenburg City says, "There are more budgets needed to introduce six-hour work, and there is a possibility that government assistance may be necessary."

Although Gothenburg's efforts were attracting attention from outside Sweden as possibly becoming a role model of 6 hour work, it became a result that the problem of 6 hour labor introduction was highlighted.

However, some companies have overcome the 6-hour labor cost side. Toyota's office located in GothenburgAdopt 6 hours of work in 2002, And it is still continuing as of 2017. It shifts to two shifts per day, and employees' paycheck overcomes the problem in terms of cost by reducing the break time as it is from the time of 8 hours work. Not only does the work efficiency increase, but also the profit from before introduction25% increasebecame.

ByToyota UK

Also in Japan there are companies that adopt 6 hour labor. Start Today who runs fashion mail order site "ZOZOTOWN" will work from 9 o'clock to 15 o'clock without taking lunch break from May 2012Adopt 6 hour labor system. We have succeeded in improving labor productivity without reducing wages due to labor shortening.

Efforts of Gothenburg's nursing home did not result in positive results due to cost problems, but it is also true that there are companies that have introduced it overcoming the cost aspect.Dentsu's overworking problemAs people's interest in "way of working" is rising, attention will be gained in the future development whether 6 hours work can be one of measures to improve the working environment.