Study: Six Hour Work Shifts Lead to More Productivity

Americans work a lot. According to Gallup, people in the United States work an average of 34.4 hours a week. That's more than any other of the world's largest economies. If you average in adults working full-time jobs, then the number goes up - 47 hours a week. 

But is it too much? Could working less hours a day actually lead to more productivity and fewer work absences?

Researchers at a consultancy group in Sweden, known as Pacta Guideline, did their study by monitoring sixty eight nurses working six-hour shifts over a 22-month trial. Pacta then compared their health and productivity with a control group of nurses at a similar location working standard eight-hour shifts.

According to the findings over the first eighteen months, 77% of the nurses working six-hour days reported being in good health, compared to just 49% of the control group. The study also found that the group working longer hours took three times as many sick days.

The study says that the shorter shift gets more work down in less time.

So what's holding everyone back? Unfortunately, the Swedish study found that the facility with the six hour workers had to hire seventeen extra employees and spend $1.1 million just to adequately staff the place.

Of course the companies would have to pay more, but that could also create more job growth.