Recent analysis by Mahabis, a London based slipper manufacturer, found that in the UK we have more people working over 50 hours a week than all other Western European nations.
Does our ‘over-working’ make us more productive?
So you’d think we’d be the most productive but we actually spend a disproportionate amount of time at work compared to our output, with data from the Office of National Statistics showing that French workers produce more in a four day week than Brits do in 5.
So what are we doing wrong? We use laptops so we can work anywhere and have smartphones for work so we are always online, we can respond to emails on the go, we can even join conference calls from the beach – but it seems that we get less done.
We have lots of tools to help us work remotely, smarter and on the go but we haven’t quite yet worked out how to manage them. As a result many people find themselves working more than ever and never switching off, which in turn causes stress and ultimately sick days.
A survey by YouGov in 2017 on behalf of the Mental Health Foundation found that our holiday time is being eroded by work, with 38% of us making or receiving calls whilst we’re away and 43% of us sending and receiving work emails, so do we ever really switch off?
Ankur Shah, the founder of Mahabis, which operates a four-day working week policy, said: “A healthy, happy workforce can drive productivity and creativity, but these figures reveal that Brits are amongst the most guilty of committing more time to their jobs rather than finding time to switch off.
“We can all do more to recognise the importance of downtime, which can benefit individuals, businesses and society as a whole.”
If you find it hard to switch off from work and you are always answering work calls and messages when you are out for dinner, sitting at home in your slippers, or trying to relax on holiday, then give Another Number a try. It will add a separate number for work to your personal mobiles which you can flip to do not disturb mode when you’re not working. If you’re an employer, offer Another Number to your team so that they can take time out when needed whilst managing missed calls and messages professionally.
Find out more here or get in touch if you’d like to have a chat about setting up a free trial for your team.
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