Here's why it's pointless to work more than 50 hours a week indy100 indy100 Indy100 logoNewsletter sign upRegister/Sign inTop 100NewsViralPoliticsCelebritiesScience & TechVideoWishlistWishlistBooksFashion & BeautyFood & DrinkHome & GardenKidsSports & FitnessTechTravel & OutdoorsMoreScience & techVideoConversationsSportIdentitiesLifestyleShowbizTVSearchxNews

Here' s why it' s pointless to work more than 50 hours a week

Dina RickmanApr 20, 2015 How many hours do you work a week? If the answer is more than 50, research suggest it is too many. A study from Stanford economist John Pencavel, highlighted in a recent post on Quartz, found that people who work 70 hours or more per week tend to get the same amount done as those who work 55. Increases in productivity after 50 hours of work in a week were "minimal". To establish this, Pencavel looked at research into munition workers carried out by the Health of Munition Workers Committee (HMWC) during the First World War when people were working up to 90 hours, seven days a week, making weapons. The HMWC recommended men should work no more than 67 hours a week and women 60. They were also critical of Sunday work, as their findings showed "seven days’ labour only produces six days’ output". Pencavel re-examined the HMWC data and concluded "long weekly hours and long daily hours do not necessarily yield high output". He also found that denying workers a day off reduced output by around 10 per cent. The reason why? Stress and fatigue reduce employee productivity after 55 hours and actually "increases the probability of errors, accidents, and sickness that impose costs on the employer". More: The European workers who work the longest hours

Chilling political ad shows what it' s like when abortion is illegal

Emma Thompson I cried when I heard Scottish school had won top prize

The tomb of ' Santa Claus' has been discovered in Turkey

Please log in or register to upvote this article

Top 100

Who won today' s PMQs Truss tells Starmer she' s ' a fighter not a quitter'

prime minister's questionspmqsliz trusskeir starmerprime minister's questions2h

Elon Musk reportedly thought that Grimes was not real

elon muskgrimescelebritiesspacexteslaelon musk6h

Just Stop Oil protester praised for ' great' explanation of soup stunt

just stop oilvan goghprotestclimate activistsjust stop oil6h

Man endures ' 29 hour flight' with screaming kids for the entire trip

flightplanechildflightOct 12, 2022

Lorraine Kelly hits out at Madonna' s ' boiled egg' face

madonnamadonnalorraine kellygmbshowbizplastic surgeryOct 11, 2022

Elon Musk is actually selling a ' Burnt Hair' fragrance

elon muskthe boring companyperfumeelon muskburnt hairOct 12, 2022

Couple spark debate for ' scandalous' wedding cake topper

wedding caketiktokwedding cakeviralOct 12, 2022

Love Island star shows extent of how far influencers edit photos

Love IslandLove IslandinfluencersshowbizOct 11, 2022

Jon Stewart slams Arkansas attorney general for her ' anti-trans law'

lgbt+Oct 11, 2022

Steven Seagal describes Putin as one of ' greatest world leaders'

steven seagalOct 10, 2022

Lizzo wears empowering shirt after being fat-shamed by Kanye West

lizzoOct 10, 2022

14 of the worst things the Tories did this week

liz trussOct 08, 2022

M People' s Mike Pickering was ' appalled' hearing Liz Truss used song

Liz TrussOct 06, 2022

Why Elon Musk once gave $1m to Mr Beast

mrbeastOct 05, 2022The Conversation (0)