Grand Junction Ready For A 3-day Work Week?

An Australian study says if you're over 40, 3 days of work is enough.

I couldn't agree more. I feel tired all the time and my job's not exactly physical in nature. Radio is harder than it looks. There's a lot of work that goes on "behind the scenes" to keep this circus rolling. The fact that radio is never "closed" and on-the-air 24-7 makes it extra challenging.

When I saw these study results, I have a better understanding as to why I'm fatigued. I won't have any luck convincing management I should only come to the office 3 days-a-week but perhaps you will. The study results state "a three-day work week may be the best way to keep employees over 40 productive and prevent burn out."

In the study, researchers from Australia and Japan examined how working hours affected brain function of 3,500 women and 3,000 men over the age of 40. “Our findings show that there is a non-linearity in the effect of working hours on cognitive functioning,” the research said. “For working hours up to around 25 hours a week, an increase in working hours has a positive impact on cognitive functioning. However, when working hours exceed 25 hours per week, an increase in working hours has a negative impact on cognition.” If where you work wants you sharp, sounds like they should shorten your work week.

If your boss won't go for a 25 hour work week, shoot for a 4-day. The study shows too that a regular 4-day work week is healthier, and the next best thing, to the typical 5-day variety. The benefits include an extra day for some private time, increased time to exercise, family time, and a reduction in blood pressure levels.

Another bad habit most of us are falling into too is not taking a lunch break. This is a trend that’s becoming the norm. The study shows that fewer than 20% of American workers leave the office for a lunch break.

I don't know about you but I'm all for the shorter work week. Let me know how it goes when you float the idea to the boss. Good luck with that!

Credit: Simplemost.com