A shorter working week can significantly improve employee well-being. As seen in
text 4, companies like Woodplace in Malaysia and King Charleston in China reported
positive effects on their employees after implementing a shorter workweek.
Specifically, Employees felt more empowered with more free time and control
over their lives and schedules(text4). This leads to better eating and exercise habits,
reduced stress, and increased sleep time,which is echoed with Shirebas’s(2019) report on
Business Association’s findings. For example, in the case of Woodplace, three-quarters
of employees gave feedback that it had made them more productive and they had more
time to focus on their health. Additionally, a 26-year-old engineer from Beijing, Li
Zhang, as a example of Math’s(2019)’s article expressed a desire for a shorter
workweek to have more family time and reduced stress. In a nutshell, by synthesizing the
various evidence presented throughout the paragraph, we can assert that a shorter
working week can have a profound positive impact on employee well-being, leading to
healthier and happier individuals.
A shorter workweek also brings significant benefits to family life. Employees have more
time to spend with their families. In the articles, it is mentioned that the response to
reduced working hours was echoed in both Malaysia and China, where employees
reported happier family lives(text4; Math,2019). In other words, the echoed results of a
increas in productivity from companies in Malysia and China in text4 strongly supports
the evidence of Li Zhang( Math,2019), who claims to have more time with family after
reducing work week, and vice versa, indicating that they mutually corroborate each other.
Moreover, increased time with family can lead to stronger bonds and better mental health
for all family members. For instance, Li Zhang( cited from Math,2015) hopes to have more
time with his future family, highlighting the importance of a shorter workweek for
personalrelationships. Therefore, when it comes to hitting a balance between work and
personal life, a shorter working week can greatly enhance family relationship, creating
a more harmonious and fulfilling environment for employees and their loved ones.
Contrary to concerns about decreased productivity, a shorter working week can actually
increase productivity. Employees are more focused and efficient when they have limited
work time, as they are motivated to get things done more quickly. In Shirebas’s(2019)
report ,the Business Association's survey also found that empowerment from more free
time leads to increased efficiency and reduced absences due to sickness. For example,
Malaysian IT boss Cederic Ti's employees, mentioned in Math’s(2019) article, are more
productive and use their day off to engage in activities that make them feel refreshed
and enthusiastic. Additionally, apart from boost each individual’s productivity ,a
shorter workweek can have a positive environmental impact from a more collectively
perspective. By reduced commuting means a smaller carbon footprint, shorter work
week reduce global warming, which is an invisible way to boost productivity from the
aspect of development(Shirebas, 2019). Thus, the comprehensive synthesis of the
evidence and examples displayed above indicates that a shorter working week can not
only boost productivity but also contribute to a greener planet, making it a win-win
situation for all.