Why Overtime Is Killing Your Productivity And Livelihood
How many hours did you work last week? Forty? Fifty? Did you lose count? Racking up hours is almost a competitive sport. It’s a way to prove how productive and successful you are to your company and clients.
But maintaining this exhausting pace works against you.
Working over 40 hours a week is hurting you and your company
Studies have shown that clocking more than 40 hours of work each week leads to decreased productivity and makes you susceptible to silly – or even dangerous – mistakes.
And it’s not just your work that suffers; your well-being takes a nosedive, too. A 2012 study by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health revealed that working 11 hours a day doubles your risk of developing depression.
Added to this, people working over 55 hours per week not only have slower reaction times; they also begin to show signs of poorer problem-solving and language abilities as they age.
So if you’re consistently working more than 40 hours, see if you can finish up sooner this week. It’ll make you more productive, sharper and happier.
For more on making impactful, empowering changes at work – including why bringing in an outsider is a powerful move – check out the book Beyond Measure, by Margaret Heffernan.
Beyond Measure
- 10 min reading time
- audio version available
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