In the article Why Sweden is Shifting to a 6-Hour Work Day, the author discusses the concept of workers being more productive with a shorter work day.  The concept is built around the idea that the workplace will be more productive if the employees have time for life outside of work.  By spending less time at work, some businesses believe employees will be happier and more creative on the job.

I think the idea has its merits, but depends on the nature of the business.  For companies looking for innovation in their employees, shorter hours may benefit.  For example, an app developing company would likely benefit if the workplace was a positive and creative environment.  Personally, I find I do better work if I’m under the pressure of a time limit.  In a working environment, I often find myself trying to kill time waiting for the day to end.  The thought of having a shorter work day would definitely make me more productive while working on projects.

However, for companies that have employees in warehouses or doing maintenance work, the shorter time at work would probably not be as effective.  These jobs have little room for employees to make significant innovative decisions, and workers are generally less than optimistic about their jobs.  In my home town, a significant amount of people work in a nickel mine.  They work 10 or 11 hour shifts for the most part, and cutting hours only means less progress.  The company encourages overtime, so I couldn’t see them switching to shorter hours any time soon.

Source: http://www.fastcoexist.com/3051448/why-sweden-is-shifting-to-a-6-hour-work-day