It’s a sight which has become depressingly familiar: the overworked employee eating lunch at their desk, skipping the opportunity to go for a walk with their colleagues or struggling to leave the office before 9pm.
As economies have become more challenging and technology has enabled “always-on” approaches, workplace expectations have shifted towards constant ever-longer hours, ever-larger workloads and ever-tighter turnarounds. This has been exacerbated by a culture which glamourises the “grind” and stays sceptical of balance.
Recent statistics from Three UK show that 49% of British workers only leave their desk to use the toilet, and a further 35% rarely leave the office during the working day. This adds to a growing body of data which demonstrates that the way we interact at work – the coffee breaks, the lunchtime walks – are becoming increasing rarities. Across the board, it would seem, pressured employees are sacrificing classic staples of balanced, sustainable office life to reply to one more email or push through one more project.
To some CEOs, this might seem like a good thing. Many business leaders have viewed post-pandemic cultural shifts like remote working and the four-day week as “not proper work”, and responsible for lower productivity and profit. As CEO of Peak PEO, an employer of record provider which offers staff both remote working and a four-day week, I’ve seen first-hand the benefits of entrusting staff with flexibility – and I’m acutely aware of the consequences of unsustainable expectations.
 |
Get our essential daily HR news and updates. |
The myth of longer hours
Many of the reasons why onerous working expectations are unsustainable are self-explanatory. As employers, it’s important to remember that the people we employ are – well, people. People might be able to work long hours without a break, but this will lead to worse concentration, lower engagement and more mistakes. Less casual bonding time, like lunchtime or coffee breaks, equals a team which is less cohesive and adaptable. This type of team also leads to lower retention, as employees without strong bonds to each other have fewer reasons to remain in a business.
These consequences of toxic “productivity” for businesses are supported by common sense, as well as a growing body of research which demonstrates that people who are less stressed and better-rested get more, and better, work done. But still, some employers and politicians remain sceptical. It’s noteworthy that recent moves by UK councils to introduce a four-day week have been strongly opposed by the government. Despite overwhelming evidence that flexible working practices lead to better outcomes for both employer and employee, the outdated assumption that more hours mean more work continues to dominate many leaders’ thinking.
A public health issue in plain sight
It’s important to recognise, however, that productivity (while significant) is not the only angle through which we should be viewing proposed changes to working culture. Statistics like the ones from Three UK give us a glimpse into an issue which is not just harming businesses’ chances of success – it’s also harming people’s bodies. A country where half the population spends eight hours a day sitting in front of a screen, and a third of the population rarely takes fresh air or sunlight, is a country with a public health emergency.
The science of sitting is clear: sedentary lifestyles are bad for people’s health. Constant sitting can increase risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and even dementia. Even short breaks are good for health – standing after meals helps promote blood sugar regulation, and just 15 minutes of movement has been shown to improve mental state by 22.5%. Prolonged desk working can impact everything from eyesight to musculoskeletal issues, with the consequence that long-term sitters face a 16% higher risk of early death.
All this has severe costs – to individuals, businesses, and society as a whole. Worse employee health means, of course, more sick days, worsened concentration and lower productivity. On a broader economic scale, it sometimes seems to be easily forgotten that business isn’t the only contributor to the bottom line. Diabetes costs the UK economy an estimated £14 billion per year, including £10 billion in NHS spending. Heart diseases cost £28 billion, early deaths from cancer cost £10.3 billion, and dementia costs an enormous £34.77 billion. It seems likely that any supposed productivity benefits of a prolonged, inflexible working day are outweighed by the costs of this working style to public health.
Flexibility as a practical solution
And beyond all of these economic arguments, isn’t it simply a good thing to treat people well? At Peak, our official policy includes core hours of 10–4, with staff able to choose their hours outside of that. In practice, though, we’re not strict on when people work – as long as the work gets done, we don’t mind when people do it.
This gives staff the ability to pick the kids up from school, take the dog for an early-evening walk or attend a gym class without concern. The result is a team who are healthier, happier and more engaged – everything else is just a bonus.
Alex Voakes is the CEO of Peak PEO, the people-led Employer of Record, consistently providing a friendly, expert, and personalised service to support businesses around the globe.
The company has over 25 years of experience in the sector and its people-led approach has been finely tuned to guide its clients through the intricacies of global workforce management and expansion. Peak isn’t just about good business – it is 100% committed to being a force for good in the world.
By teaming up with B1G1, The Better Business Act and 4DayWeek, the company is committing to being a great place to work whilst also giving back to society and the planet.
- Alex Voakes
- Alex Voakes
- Alex Voakes
- Alex Voakes
