Discussing Working Hours and Productivity
Donya: So a friend of mine was telling me about the five-hour workday. Have you heard of that?
Kim: Yeah, um, I actually read- there’s- there’s like a whole book about it. Um, do you know much about it yourself?
Donya: No, I- I don’t- I haven’t really heard anything about it other than this first mention.
Kim: OK, well, it’s like- it’s this idea that the traditional eight-hour workday is just a tradition. It has nothing to do with people’s actual productivity,
Kim: so some companies are starting to experiment with letting their employees work shorter days, like five hours,
Kim: to see if because you know you’re only gonna work five hours, you work harder in that limited time, versus when you get stuck in a pattern of eight hours,
Kim: an hour of that might be a lunch break, 45 minutes of it might be scrolling through Facebook when your boss isn’t looking, so stuff like that.
Donya: Oh, that’s really interesting. I definitely feel like long work hours are often really counterproductive.
Kim: Yeah. Yeah, definitely. By the time hour seven, seven and a half rolls around, I’m completely fed up with staying on task. That’s when I start to look at Facebook, I must admit.
Donya: Yeah, exactly. And it’s just, like, a nice idea. Also, if you have more free time, you can go home and go for a walk or hang out with your family. You’re just, like, much less likely to feel stressed out at work.
Kim: Yeah. I always feel more stressed when I have to work longer hours, for sure. Increased fatigue. It’s just bad all around.
Donya: Yeah. And if you’ve been, like, neglecting your social life, you just- you don’t have a good work-life balance.
Kim: Yeah.
Donya: I like this idea. I think I’m gonna have to try the five-hour workday.
Kim: Yeah, talk to your manager about it.
Vocabulary:
traditional – following long-established customs, ideas, or methods rather than modern or experimental ones, “The family prefers to eat a traditional home-cooked dinner together every Sunday.”
productivity – the level of efficiency or the total amount of useful work produced by a person, team, or machine, “Turning off your phone notifications can significantly boost your daily productivity.”
experiment with – (phrasal verb) to try a completely new idea, strategy, or method to find out what its results or effects will be, “The kitchen team wants to experiment with plant-based ingredients for the new autumn menu.”
limited time – a restricted, small, or specific amount of time available to finish an activity, “The store is offering a special discount for a limited time only.”
stuck in a pattern – (idiom) caught or trapped in a repetitive, unchangeable, or predictable routine or habit that is difficult to break, “To avoid getting stuck in a pattern of boredom, she took up a different creative hobby every month.”
counterproductive – having the opposite result to the one that was intended; hurting progress instead of helping it, “Working through the entire night without sleeping is usually counterproductive because you make more mistakes.”
fed up with – (idiom) thoroughly bored, annoyed, or frustrated with a situation, person, or habit that has continued for too long, “The residents are completely fed up with the loud construction noise outside their windows.”
staying on task – (idiom) maintaining full focus and concentration on a specific piece of work or duty without getting distracted, “It is much easier to stay on task when you work in a quiet room far away from the television.”
stressed out – (informal/idiom) experiencing severe mental or emotional strain, worry, and anxiety due to excessive pressure, “He felt completely stressed out by the upcoming university exam deadlines.”
fatigue – a state of extreme physical or mental tiredness resulting from heavy work, lack of sleep, or high stress, “Drivers should pull over and take a rest if they start to feel overwhelming fatigue on long road trips.”
neglecting – failing to take proper care of, pay attention to, or look after something or someone, “If you spend all your time at the office, you risk neglecting your hobbies and friendships.”
work-life balance – the comfortable, healthy division of a person’s time and energy between their professional job duties and their personal life activities, “Finding a great job with an excellent work-life balance is a top priority for young professional parents.”