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Clock Off From Long Hours

Being the first in and the last to leave isn't always the most productive. Image via Shutterstock.

Working like a dog for the man?

It's time to down tools and clock off – according to a recent study by Stanford Uni economist John Pencavel, productivity declines sharply in people whose workweek exceeds 50 hours.

In fact, such is the drop off in productivity in wage slaves putting in 70 or more hours a week, they actually get no more work done than those doing 55 hours at the coal face.

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Pencavel established his findings using historical research carried out by Britain's Health of Munition Workers Committee during World War I, which recommended men should work no more than 67 hours a week and women 60.

After re-examining the committee's data, he concluded that long daily and weekly hours do not necessarily yield high output, and that denying workers a day off resulted in a 10 per cent reduction in output. The reason for the fall? After 55 hours, stress and fatigue hit productivity and raise the likelihood of errors, accidents, and sickness.

It's up to you how you tell the boss where to stick their "overtime".

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