{"id":16336,"date":"2025-03-31T11:45:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-31T09:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/?p=16336"},"modified":"2025-04-07T11:00:23","modified_gmt":"2025-04-07T09:00:23","slug":"fewer-work-hours-bigger-wins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/en\/useful\/articles\/fewer-work-hours-bigger-wins\/","title":{"rendered":"Fewer work hours &#8211;  Bigger wins!"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"16336\" class=\"elementor elementor-16336\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5d7efb58 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"5d7efb58\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-32d40bf6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-shortcode\" data-id=\"32d40bf6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"shortcode.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-shortcode\"><nav aria-label=\"breadcrumbs\" class=\"rank-math-breadcrumb\"><p><\/p><\/nav><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1e4750ba e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"1e4750ba\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a047e75 ddddf e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"a047e75\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-20c9d99a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"20c9d99a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">A growing body of research dismantles the myth that long hours equal high productivity. <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-18b94166 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"18b94166\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-13e8adb2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"13e8adb2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hero-block.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-16431\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hero-block.png 1440w, https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hero-block-300x133.png 300w, https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hero-block-1024x455.png 1024w, https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hero-block-768x341.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-19d502c4 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"19d502c4\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-175f64b5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"175f64b5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1>Fewer work hours, bigger wins!<\/h1><p>&#8220;If we were ever\u2014yes, ever\u2014to reduce working hours, I\u2019d cut salaries accordingly.<br \/>Less work, less pay. Period!&#8221; declared the CEO, brimming with conviction. But let\u2019s hit pause for a second: are we paying people for the hours they warm their seats, or for the actual results they deliver? This time we dive deep into shifting from the archaic practice of counting hours to measuring actual impact\u2014for a business model that is both meaningful and (still) wildly profitable.<\/p><h2>The science of doing more with less<\/h2><p>A growing body of research dismantles the myth that long hours equal high productivity. A\u00a0Stanford University\u00a0study found that productivity plummets after 50 hours per week, and any effort beyond 55 hours results in nothing but burnout. In other words, the hustle culture is officially prehistoric.<\/p><p>Other studies reinforce this: employees working fewer hours make fewer mistakes, engage in more creative problem-solving, and enjoy greater job satisfaction. The key insight? Productivity isn\u2019t about hours spent at a desk\u2014it\u2019s about meaningful output. So, what does a shorter workweek actually mean, and what are the success metrics derived from it? Let\u2019s explore some real-world success stories proving that less can, indeed, be more.<\/p><h2>Real-life success stories: proof is in the shorter workweek<\/h2><p>1. Iceland\u2019s Four-Day Workweek Experiment:\u00a0Over several years (2015-2019), large-scale trials moved workers to a 35-hour week without a pay cut. The result? Productivity stayed the same or even improved, while stress and burnout declined significantly. While a\u00a0universal four-day workweek\u00a0is not legally mandated,\u00a0around 86% of Iceland\u2019s workforce\u00a0now enjoys\u00a0shorter work hours\u00a0or has the right to negotiate them. The change has led to increased job satisfaction, improved work-life balance, and maintained productivity levels.<\/p><p>2. Microsoft Japan\u2019s Revolutionary Trial (2019):\u00a0The company introduced a four- day workweek and saw an eye-popping 40% increase in productivity. Employees slashed pointless meetings, worked smarter, and delivered better results in less time. This trial sparked discussions about\u00a0flexible work arrangements, and Microsoft continues to explore\u00a0hybrid and remote work options\u00a0to improve work-life balance. While the shorter workweek approach has not become the norm across the country yet, it has inspired some other Japanese companies to experiment with shorter workweeks.<\/p><p>3. Perpetual Guardian (New Zealand):\u00a0This financial services firm successfully transitioned to a four-day workweek without pay cuts in 2018. Employee engagement and job satisfaction soared, while productivity remained steady. The trial resulted in the company still applying it, however, with certain flexibility. Meaning, employees are not automatically given a four-day<br \/>schedule but can\u00a0opt into it based on performance and productivity.<\/p><p>Clearly, reducing work hours isn\u2019t some new-age fantasy\u2014it\u2019s a strategy backed by data and real-world wins. The question is, how could you make it work in your business?<\/p><h3>5 strategic hacks to make reduced hours work<\/h3><p>1. Rethink Meetings: Shorter, Smarter, and Scarcer<br \/>The Problem:\u00a0Meetings devour hours while producing little value.\u00a0<br \/>The Fix: Introduce &#8220;stand-up&#8221; meetings, cap discussions at 15\u201330 minutes, and only involve essential participants. Leverage asynchronous communication (Slack, Loom<br \/>videos) to reduce unnecessary calls.<\/p><p>2.\u00a0Automate, Delegate, Eliminate<br \/>The Problem:\u00a0Employees spend excessive time on repetitive, low-value tasks.\u00a0<br \/>The Fix:\u00a0Automate scheduling, reporting, and data entry. Delegate non-core tasks and eliminate redundancy. Free up mental bandwidth for meaningful and impactful work.<\/p><p>3.\u00a0Set Output-Based Goals, Not Hour-Based Targets<br \/>The Problem:\u00a0Traditional models measure hours instead of real contributions.\u00a0<br \/>The Fix:\u00a0Shift to success metrics that emphasise deliverables, creativity, and efficiency. Reward employees for results, not hours logged.<\/p><p>4.\u00a0Create Focus Blocks and Deep Work Rituals<br \/>The Problem:\u00a0Constant interruptions lead to inefficiency and longer workdays.\u00a0<br \/>The Fix: Implement &#8220;focus blocks&#8221; where employees work undisturbed for 90\u2013120 minutes on priority tasks. Encourage &#8220;do not disturb&#8221; time and disable notifications to maximise deep work.<\/p><p>5.\u00a0Pilot, Measure, Iterate<br \/>The Problem:\u00a0Fear of lost productivity prevents companies from testing reduced<br \/>hours.\u00a0<br \/>The Fix:\u00a0Start small\u2014trial reduced hours with a team or department. Track productivity metrics (e.g., revenue per employee, project completion rates, customer satisfaction). If the impact is positive, refine and scale the model.<\/p><h2>The work of now: counting results, not hours<\/h2><p>The evidence is clearly there: fewer hours can lead to greater productivity, happier employees, and even stronger financial performance. But making it work requires a mental shift\u2014from obsessing over hours to focusing on impact.<br \/>Breaking free from the &#8220;but we\u2019ve always done it this way&#8221; mentality isn\u2019t easy. The key? Start small, track the impact, and build a results-driven culture where success isn\u2019t measured by time spent at a desk, but by what actually gets done.<br \/>And who knows?\u00a0Your company might just be the next breakthrough success story in the movement toward more impactful, not longer, work hours\u2014reaping increased financial gains alongside a more engaged, happier workforce.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-adf47ca e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"adf47ca\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bc7d6ce ddddfd e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"bc7d6ce\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5d462c9 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"5d462c9\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a2b8e68 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"a2b8e68\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-05f9052 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"05f9052\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Meet the expert...<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0969ecd e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"0969ecd\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-945a653 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"945a653\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Kat-4.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-16368\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Kat-4.png 300w, https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Kat-4-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0910272 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"0910272\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1a650d0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1a650d0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Katri Delimoge<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-abf3057 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"abf3057\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Strategic People &amp; Culture Expert<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d4f430c elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"d4f430c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Partner at \nDirector &amp; Founder at <a href=\"https:\/\/copi.agency\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">COPI O\u00dc<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-84ac49f e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"84ac49f\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-926e778 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"926e778\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"560\" height=\"303\" src=\"https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/download.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-8979\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/download.png 560w, https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/download-300x162.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If we were ever\u2014yes, ever\u2014to reduce working hours, I\u2019d cut salaries accordingly.<br \/>\nLess work, less pay. Period!&quot;declared the CEO, brimming with conviction. But let\u2019s hit<br \/>\npause for a second: are we paying people for the hours they warm their seats, or for<br \/>\nthe actual results they deliver? This time we dive deep into shifting from the archaic<br \/>\npractice of counting hours to measuring actual impact\u2014for a business model that is<br \/>\nboth meaningful and (still) wildly profitable<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16431,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"acf":[],"blog_post_layout_featured_media_urls":{"thumbnail":["https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hero-block-150x150.png",150,150,true],"full":["https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hero-block.png",1440,640,false]},"categories_names":{"21":{"name":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/en\/category\/useful\/articles\/"}},"tags_names":[],"comments_number":"0","rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hero-block.png",1440,640,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hero-block.png",1440,640,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hero-block.png",1440,640,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hero-block-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hero-block-300x133.png",300,133,true],"large":["https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hero-block-1024x455.png",800,355,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hero-block.png",1440,640,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hero-block.png",1440,640,false]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"Simon Grey","author_link":"https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/en\/author\/admin\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/en\/category\/useful\/articles\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Articles<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"If we were ever\u2014yes, ever\u2014to reduce working hours, I\u2019d cut salaries accordingly. Less work, less pay. Period!&quot;declared the CEO, brimming with conviction. But let\u2019s hit pause for a second: are we paying people for the hours they warm their seats, or for the actual results they deliver? This time we dive deep into shifting from&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16336"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16336\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moneyhub.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}