The effectiveness of employees’ performance depends on the nature of the work, the working environment, and particularly the work scheduling. Based on this approach, different areas and occupations have different working schedules for their employees across the world. For instance, in the USA, the employees have to work for 1,794 hours annually, while the Germans tend to work for 1,433 hours annually. It reflects that there is a great difference in the working schedules and strategies of these regions. However, the effectiveness is compatible in both the cases. Therefore, the paper discusses the pros and cons of working hours to be 40 or 30 per week.
Pros and Cons of Strict Working Schedules
Across the world, different regions have been following different working schedules, and certainly have been producing effective outcomes in their respective field. Therefore, both the working schedules of 30 hours per week and 40 hours per week have their significant pros and cons. The fixed schedule of 40 hours a week has resulted in considerable improvement in the employees’ performance through the enforcement of ‘Obamacare Act’. It makes the employees dedicate their 8 hours per day five times a week. In this regard, the employees working for more hours are paid overtimes as per the nature of the task. The designed schedule is in accordance with the Work-Life Balance strategy that facilitates the employees to manage their personal and social life as well. However, when the success of this working strategy is compared to those who work for 30 hours a week, it seems that there are certain areas that lack in adequate management or proper utilization of the talent.
Consequently, weekly 30 working hours seem to serve the insights of technological advancements. If the competitiveness still prevails, it focuses the working environment of these regions. Working hours mean involvement of a person in solely performing their jobs activities. People have to just focus on their intended tasks rather than getting indulged in other social activities even at the workplace. Since, employees are aware of the short working hours for the more complex task, their sense of accountability persists. They know they have to accomplish their tasks as extra hours will make them accountable to their management.
If employees are made to work for more hours, they tend to be less creative, less productive, and even less healthy. As a matter of fact, the trend of 40 working hours per week has been resulting in notable unproductive outcomes in most of the cases. In particular cases, working for two or more hours tend to enhance the productivity, but making it a habit results in long-term impacts on productivity and personal health as well that is in accordance with “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention”. Employees’ performance in more weekly working hours reflects decreased alertness as their cognitive functioning gets affected resulting in increased fatigue that declines their vigilance towards the assigned tasks.
Managing the Employment Concerns and Compensation Benefits
In the case of employing a German professional, the greatest problem is of weekly working hours. Since Germans have the working schedule of 30 hours per week, even with productive and competitive outcomes. Therefore, making a German acknowledge the 40 hours working schedule seems challenging for the HR Director.
As a result of employees’ psychological responses to the working hours and environment, the German professional is going to be facilitated with a mindset of 30 working hours in a week. However, it is definitely going to affect the entire workplace environment that might result in employees’ resistance. Based on the complexity of the assigned tasks, the German will have a comparatively rigid environment that demands prompt responses. There will be an “At-Will Employment Contract” that will provide the employer to take instant decisions based on the performance. Besides, the German will be offered to work on volunteer projects for which he will be expected to serve in the work flexible hours. Pay-increment or promotion will solely depend on the performance as they are expected to perform exceptionally. More specifically, the compensations will focus on variable pay as the compensation is tied to the productivity. Besides, the employment contract will include the Non-Competition and Confidentiality clauses. In addition to this, he will also be facilitated with the opportunity of availing employee grievance procedures, sick leaves and vacations, and health benefits.
Conclusively, the opportunity of flexible working hours for the intended volunteer projects is going to assist the organization in coping with other employees’ resistance at the workplace for the hiring of German professional for compressed working hours. Based on the fact that the company needs such services, the working schedule and the delegated tasks of the German will be highly competitive as they are expected to yield exceptional performance. However, the ‘At-Will Employment Contract’ will assist the company in taking decisions against him if he is not efficient and proficient with his performance. Consequently, it is performance that matters more than the working hours. Therefore, if a person is performing exceptionally even in less working hours, he deserves the best appraisal as well as similar or more salary as compared to those working for 40 hours a week and still delivering fewer outcomes.
References
Coote, A. (2015). Reduce the Workweek to 30 Hours. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2014/03/09/rethinking-the-40-hour-work-week/reduce-the-workweek-to-30-hours
Guerin, L. (2015). Employment At Will: What Does It Mean? Talk to lawyer box END. Retrieved from http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/employment-at-will-definition-30022.html
General Employment Policies and Procedures. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.uwsp.edu/hr/Pages/CEH-General-Employment-Policies-and-Procedures.aspx
Leonard, K. (2015, January 7). Businesses Push for 40-Hour Workweek in Obamacare Definition. Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/01/07/businesses-push-for-40-hour-workweek-in-obamacare-definition
Sherman, E. (2015). These 5 employers are rescuing the 40-hour workweek. Retrieved from Fortune : http://fortune.com/2015/10/20/40-hour-work-week-employers/
WORKPLACE Workplace Strategies that Enhance Performance, Health and Wellness. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.hok.com/thought-leadership/workplace-strategies-that-enhance-human-performance-health-and-wellness/
