The lines have blurred between work hours and personal time. In our newest infographic, Winding Down the Work Week, explore the changes in businesses around the world as the 40-hour work week continues its shift toward the workplace of the future. Work emails, schedules and documents are accessible (even editable) on mobile devices, bringing the workplace to anywhere with an Internet connection. But does working more hours mean more productivity? Need a little help getting the productivity boost you need and managing your personal + work commitments? There’s an app for that! Download our award-winning Agenday Smart Calendar app free today! All your calendars, all your meetings, all your social connections—all in a single click. http://www.agenday.com/

1. Winding Down the
Workweek
The lines have blurred between work hours and personal time. Work emails,
schedules, and documents are accessible (even editable) on mobile devices—bringing
the workplace to anywhere with an Internet connection. But does working more hours
mean more productivity? According to data by the Organisation for Economic
Co-Operation and Development (OECD) and The Economist,
it actually means the exact opposite.
The American Workhorse
In the United States, the 40-hour workweek is often overlooked and disregarded.
Employers might view employees who put in 40 hours a week as lazy or unmotivated.
Here’s a look at hours worked on an annual basis.
UNITED
KINGDOM
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
Typical rationale says longer hours
bring more productivity, but new
research tells a di…erent story.
0
1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800 2,000 2,200 2,400 2,600 2,800
SPAIN
GDP Per Hour Worked (USS, 2005 PPP)
KOREA
Hourly Productivity
GREECE
To better understand the relationship between these two metrics, let’s examine various countries’
relationships between annual hours worked and productivity.
0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500
Annual Hours Worked
*Productivity is measured by Annual Hours Worked ÷ Country GDP.
GERMANY
FRANCE
UNITED STATES
RUSSIA
GREECE
SOUTH KOREA
$49.30
$49.13
$56.18
$15.49
$28.47
$26.22
Short Workweeks Across the World
Productivity aside, employees with shorter work hours are more loyal and sušer less stress and illness.
They also tend to be more productive, hour-for-hour.
36
34
35
36
33
35
35
29
36
33
For those of us still on the 40-hour workweek schedule, here are some helpful tips to make sure your
productivity levels stay ahead of the curve.
Work Hours, by Country
Work Hours/Productivity Correlation
Which Countries are Most Productive?
Sources:
INC.com | Fast Company | Business Insider | The Economist
Washington Post | NY Times | CNN Money
Hours Worked Per Person Engaged
Be Ruthless About
Prioritizing Tasks
First focus on items
and tasks that make
or break your business.
Not all tasks are
created equal.
PLAN
Don’t Start Anything
Without a Plan First
The biggest time-waster
is redoing a task that
wasn’t done right the
first time. Creating a
strategy at the forefront
will make execution
more ecient.
Be Realistic About
How Many Gains You
Can Really Make
Dream big and have
goals, but temper
your long-term
ambitions with
short-term realism.
Invest in Help
Trying to do
everything yourself
is another way of
ignoring priorities.
Get the help you need,
and train people to do
the job the way it
should be done.
Carve Out and Protect
Time for Yourself
Schedule personal
time to keep yourself
healthy, maintain
important relationships
outside of work, and
follow passions that
aren’t related
to your job.
DENMARK
FRANCE
JAPAN
PORTUGAL
SWEDEN
UNITED
STATES
Annual Working Hours Per Person Engaged (2012)
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN
Although correlation doesn’t equal
causation, the relationship between
hours worked and productivity
indicates longer hours might not
result in more productivity..
Overall, productivity and disposable income seem to increase,
as annual hours worked decrease.
MEXICO
Productivity
$44.00
$14.46
OECD AVG.
Working Smarter, Not Longer
ITALY
hours
IRELAND
hours
SWITZERLAND
hours
SWEDEN
hours
DENMARK
hours
BELGIUM
hours
GERMANY
hours
NETHERLANDS
hours
AUSTRALIA
hours
NORWAY
hours