Should Bristol be working a 6-hour day?

Eyes lit up around the world when forward-thinking Sweden announced that it had been trialling the six-hour working day. Half of Europe Googled how to emigrate North, workers rejoiced and Corbyn even promised to discuss the idea as part of Labour’s ‘Workplace 2020’ project.

It looks like a win-win. Research by the Svartedalens retirement home in Gothenburg found nurses who worked a shorter day were more engaged with their work, 20 per cent happier and half as likely to call in sick. And when Toyota’s Gothenburg plant conducted the same experiment ten years before, the company reported increased profits, a lower turnover rate and boosted productivity.

Most of us find it hard to concentrate for 8-hours straight, evidenced by the mid-afternoon chocolate run or the furtive social media scroll. The theory is that contracting the working day is enough of an incentive to eliminate distractions, heighten focus and encourage employees to work smarter and faster. But it’s not a ticket to skive. You’re required to focus exclusively on the work in hand, leaving social media, personal calls and life admin at the door.

According to Eurostat figures, the UK currently has the fifth longest working week ahead of France and Germany, yet our continental cousins have a higher output per hour. And – unsurprisingly – a YouGov survey found that British people feel that they’d be more productive with a shorter working day. Of those polled, 56 per cent felt a 7-hour day would be the optimum, contrasted with the current 8.6-hour average.

But could and should it work in Bristol?

“From a mental wellbeing perspective, the long-hours culture is very worry,” says business psychologist and leadership consultant Grant Morffew of Redland-based Omada Consulting. “The other G7 countries are about 18 per cent ahead of the UK on productivity. We work long hours but are not very productive. Shorter hours tends to focus the work effort and boost productivity.”

Sam Espensen of communications agency Conversation Creation began testing the concept at the end of last year, convinced that “we let work stretch out to fill the entire week at the moment” but “actually we can condense it”. Finding that she was most productive between 7am and 2pm, they began trialling both five days of six-hour shifts and four-days of 8-hours.

It worked – for a while. But as Sam’s workload has increased the ideal has faded. “I don’t think I could legitimately say that we’re still operating the six-hour day at the moment. I am also launching my own booze brand and building a cafe – so we’ve been running to stand still the last few months! But the intention is always to go back to that once we’re up and running.

“We do know is that we really can work harder for shorter periods of time if we know there is a big fat carrot of an extra day off.”

More realistic in the UK’s current working culture is a shift towards flexible working, and that’s already becoming an increasing norm as companies realise the positive impact it has on morale and motivation. Working from home, flexi-time, variable office hours and alternative approaches to office space have become more and more pervasive as employers wake up to the advantages, though there’s arguably still room for improvement.

Coexist is one company that’s already introduced flexible working as one of its raft of people-friendly measures.

“It’s up to each employee how they organise their time,” says Chloe Foy, people development manager, who sees plenty of benefits, especially for those with families or seeking a better work-life balance. “It’s beneficial to the employee – they can take personal things into consideration – and it also builds a culture of trust.”

“I’m not convinced the answer to the UK’s productivity issue rests in shortening work hours,” agrees Grant. “It’s not practical in many industries.

“The six-hour day is one of a range of solutions. Flexible working is very popular with employees and works for employers. Another is to challenge the ‘always on’ culture that assumes people are always contactable. I am convinced that a 4-day working week would make us more productive.”

Are there any disadvantages?

“Only if it’s abused,” says Chloe, arguing that the benefits outweigh the risk. “Work is heading more to a task over time culture. That’s something we encourage.”

How to make flexible working work for your business

• Flexible working can be a big culture shift, so make sure senior managers are trained in how to effectively manage flexible teams.
• Have the technology in place to ensure remote workers don’t feel cut off.
• Don’t micromanage. Flexible working relies on mutual trust so set boundaries, make expectations clear, check in regularly but let your employees take responsibility.

Read more: 9 of Bristol’s coolest offices