Sean Smith's Blog

I just finished reading Sean Listers Blog regarding the in-balance between work and leisure time.  The article speaks of the general satisfaction or happiness the employees currently have in the workforce. The article hints some staggering facts regarding the current happiness of workers along with the amount of hours current employees are averaging per week. Sean emphasizes that the more hours put in to work doesn’t necessarily result in a higher level of productivity.

This is a crucial piece of information to understand. If a firm can understand that properly balancing work with free time will result in a higher productivity, companies will be more lenient to changing hours, longer breaks, and/or different daily routines. Companies often see their employees as input in which the longer they are operating  the more output will be produced; however, they fail to understand that employees are humans who are fallible. Breaks and management for companies should be seriously considered and it could very possible result in more focus and more productivity. More hours doesn’t have a direct correlation with productivity.

Not only will reduction in work hours improve the amount employees are able to produce, but it will also increase the overall happiness of the firm. Sean eloquently stated that over 40% of the people in the workforce feel overwhelmed and when consumers are stressed, and unhappy the result is often lower quality goods, poor service, and low productivity.  Less hours will increase employee satisfaction as they can spend more time with family, playing sports or doing the “other things” that they enjoy, this satisfaction can significantly increase the employees abilities with regards to their job.