How Do Optimum Working Hours Impact Productivity? Share Your Thoughts!

Hi there,

What do you think is the effect of optimum working hours? According to you, what should be the best working hours for the best productivity?

Dips

The optimum number of hours at work could be 8. I am an HR professional in a Software Company and I find that while there are people who put in exactly 8 hours and are able to finish their work for the day, there are others who put in 12 to even 18 hours in a day. You could tell your employees at your firm that they need to put in 8 hours of productive work on one business day. Again, this is a topic of vast discussion. I have people in my organization working for 20 hours per day, working real hard. How could we provide compensation in such cases? Any suggestions?

Optimum working hours, in the true sense, are between 2.5 hours to 3.5 hours. As per the Factories Act, the employer is bound to give a break after 4 hours of work. The idea behind this regulation is that in a given environment, one can continue to work with the best output from 2.5 hours to 3.5 hours. Even the International Labour Organization (ILO) is of the opinion that every human being, when subjected to a certain environment, gives their best output when they feel fresh. This is only possible when we allow them to relax.

Anil Anand

Hi Anil and orange,

Well, I believe in flexitime. The employee should be informed about the work he has to do, and it depends on his ability to complete it in 5, 8, or 12 hours. But yes, I think it should not exceed 8 hours. What do you say?

Dips

Hi Deepali,

Frankly speaking, I do not agree with the concept of flexitime.

The reason behind this is:

1. You lose discipline, which is a basic requirement.

2. You add more cost to the cost of production.

3. You lose one-to-one contact, which is required on a daily basis.

4. You lose the whole concept of industrial/establishment working.

So, when we talk about flexitime, we are essentially putting an individual to work on a 24-hour basis. This leads to a number of problems. As human beings, the tendency is to remain relaxed or under tension. The extreme positions always hamper the quality and quantity of the product. Individuals become so independent that they confine themselves to a particular area, further leading to lower development in the thought process. To balance an activity, we are required to subject an individual to an environment where they can interact with others to achieve the best possible results. The flexitime concept, generated by the IT industry, in my opinion, is doing more harm than good to an industrial culture.

What do you say?

Anil Anand

Hi Anilanand,

My point regarding flexitime is dependent on the company's product. When there is a time frame of let's say 7 to 12 hours, that duration is now 17 hours. If employees are asked to give at least 7 to 8 hours, then I don't find any reason for low performance. Then you talk about interactions. If employees have to give 8 hours to the office, the interaction would be there (again, it depends on the company's culture). Now, what do you think about giving 10 hours to the office being more productive than working for 7 to 8 hours? Frankly speaking, on average, an employee actually works for 4 to 5 hours. Sincerely, whatever productivity he achieves is within this duration; the rest of the time, he just passes time. If he is given the liberty to adjust his timings according to this, he may prove to be more productive. But yes, here I would like to add that the work to be finished should be clearly communicated. What do you say?

Dips

Dear Deepali,

"Spare the rod and spoil the child." The theory is still applicable and proving its worth. In my opinion, every employee, irrespective of position/designation, should attend the office in the morning to discuss and draw a strategy for further action.

What do you say?

Regards,
Anil Anand

Hi Deepali,

I work for a U.S.-based company, and they believe in limiting work hours to 8 hours. However, the Indian counterparts think otherwise. We are sometimes required to work even on Saturdays with zero productivity. I believe flexible hours are beneficial when companies do not adhere to an 8-hour workday.

K

Hi Kopal,

I really believe that the concept of flexitime is going to increase productivity, although there are always some constraints. In this fast-paced life, internal satisfaction is necessary, which we often experience when we gather at family parties or interact with our families, etc. Just imagine a scenario where a man works in a manufacturing company and his wife works in a BPO or an IT company.

What do you say?

Dips

True, Deepali.

I am all for flexible working hours. We are no longer in a world where job timings used to be 9-6. I don't remember leaving the workplace before 8 pm ever, and if one starts working from 9 until some unearthly hours, there is no point because there is no productivity.

Kopal

Hi Kopal,

Yes, but still, I don't know why companies are so eager for longer working hours and what they gain from it, apart from intense dissatisfaction among employees.

Dips

Dear Deepali,

My answer is that we must adhere to discipline which has been taught to us right from our childhood. In my opinion, every official must attend the office at least once in a day when the majority of other employees are also attending duty for the day.

Working hours fixation was done by the ILO to regulate and organize the industry, mainly the manufacturing industry, and with this came the allied services. In fact, the base still is from (Hardcore) manufacturing.

The above is a part of chain management; every end is connected with the other. I am not very sure about this in the IT industry. Discipline and 8 hours of working are to regulate and organize, but giving the proper output of the assigned job is the individual's performance.

I also support the theory of flexi-hours, but it has to be in a regulated/organized manner.

Regards,
Anil Anand

Hi Anil,

Thanks for replying. Well, I don't deny that discipline and 8 hours of work make working more organized. However, I feel that flexitime in today's scenario may prove to be more productive. What do you think?

Dips

Hi,

This is Deepti Sharma, Employee Relations Executive. As per my knowledge, the working hours should be 8 hours per day. Now, my concern is whether the company has separate working hours/days for the service section and the support section, as we do.

Is it appropriate to have HR, Training, and Operations working 8 hours for five days, while Customer Support and Sales work 8 hours for six days?

I need an accurate answer on this.

Regards, Deepti