Do you ever wish you had more time at home and spent less time at work? It’s a thought that’s crossed many minds before. After all, rarely do people look back on their lives thinking, ‘I wish I worked more’.
Unfortunately, not everyone can knock off from work a few hours earlier and suffer no consequences. Flexible working might be acceptable at some workplaces, but it simply means you have to make up for the hours missed another time.
So why do we have to work 8 hours a day?
Back in 1930, John Maynard Keynes predicted the working week would be cut by 2030. In his essay ‘Economic Possibilities for our Grandchildren’, Keynes saw a future where people would be working 15-hour weeks and choosing leisure over making more money than what was necessary. Fast-forward to 2015 and people are still working full 40-hour weeks with no sign of such work pace slowing down.
Yet there is some movement in the cause of a shorter working period. Timothy Ferriss’ book ‘The 4-Hour Work Week’ is Amazon’s #1 Best Seller in its Business Time Management category. Experts from the New Economics Foundation claims a 30-hour work week can improve our physical and emotional health.
While a shorter work day might be a while away, let’s make the most of our time at work. Have a look at the infographic below produced by Podio to see how our working patterns came to be, and how you can make the most of it. Spend your time in the office wisely, and who knows: you might be able to knock off work early after all.
