![](https://i.imgur.com/CLvY2jA.png")
08-06-2022, 02:06 PM
Sarah O'Connor
08 Jun 2022 06:13AM
(Updated: 08 Jun 2022 06:15AM)
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it is not just about working hours. The nature of work also seems to have changed in the past three decades. In spite of – or perhaps because of – new technology, people now say they are working harder to tighter deadlines under greater levels of tension.
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What’s going on? In the 1990s, people said their “own discretion” was the most important factor in how hard they worked. Now they are more likely to cite “clients or customers”.
In a world of instant communication, many workers now feel they have to respond quickly to consumer or client demands.
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Another possible explanation is that employers have simply cut headcount to save costs without coming up with more efficient ways of doing things.
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More workplaces like warehouses have become partially automated, which means workers must keep pace with machines.
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workers are now easier to monitor. Witness the growth of software which tracks employees’ keystrokes, measures their breaks and sends nudges if they stray to non-work-related sites.
A fourth possibility is that email and instant messaging platforms like Slack simply tire people out mentally. It is hard to focus when constantly interrupted
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while working harder doesn’t seem to be making us richer, it does appear to be making us sicker. A new study by academics Tom Hunt and Harry Pickard suggests that “working with high intensity” increases the likelihood of people reporting stress, depression and burnout.
They are also more likely to work when sick.
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What can be done?
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In the absence of simple policy solutions, it is easy to see why the campaign for a four-day week has gained momentum, with a trial beginning in UK workplaces from Jun 6. If we can’t work less hard, perhaps we should just work less.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commenta...ss-2731941
08 Jun 2022 06:13AM
(Updated: 08 Jun 2022 06:15AM)
......
it is not just about working hours. The nature of work also seems to have changed in the past three decades. In spite of – or perhaps because of – new technology, people now say they are working harder to tighter deadlines under greater levels of tension.
......
What’s going on? In the 1990s, people said their “own discretion” was the most important factor in how hard they worked. Now they are more likely to cite “clients or customers”.
In a world of instant communication, many workers now feel they have to respond quickly to consumer or client demands.
......
Another possible explanation is that employers have simply cut headcount to save costs without coming up with more efficient ways of doing things.
......
More workplaces like warehouses have become partially automated, which means workers must keep pace with machines.
......
workers are now easier to monitor. Witness the growth of software which tracks employees’ keystrokes, measures their breaks and sends nudges if they stray to non-work-related sites.
A fourth possibility is that email and instant messaging platforms like Slack simply tire people out mentally. It is hard to focus when constantly interrupted
......
while working harder doesn’t seem to be making us richer, it does appear to be making us sicker. A new study by academics Tom Hunt and Harry Pickard suggests that “working with high intensity” increases the likelihood of people reporting stress, depression and burnout.
They are also more likely to work when sick.
......
What can be done?
......
In the absence of simple policy solutions, it is easy to see why the campaign for a four-day week has gained momentum, with a trial beginning in UK workplaces from Jun 6. If we can’t work less hard, perhaps we should just work less.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commenta...ss-2731941
