Monday, March 6, 2023

Workers want to ditch the 40-hour workweek

Three years after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, workers are still feeling its lingering effects ─ and now, they’re pushing back against the 40-hour week. Following the great resignation and quiet quitting movement to curb overwork, new research finds that Americans’ time spent on the job has dropped by 33 hours per year.

"There's a growing annoyance with work tasks that add no value to our lives," says Anthony Klotz, a professor of management at London's UCL School of Management.

“People are happy to come back to the office and perform their core job functions, but they don’t have a lot of tolerance for things outside of that,” Klotz explains. “Like, if you’re making me come to the office or attend an on-site meeting, it better be good.”

In 2022, some companies made an effort to address the desire for fewer hours. More than 900 workers across 33 businesses in the U.S. and Ireland tested a four-day workweek and saw improved productivity, finances and relationships. Other companies are experimenting with meeting-free days and half-day Fridays as timesaving strategies.

It’s unclear if the four-day workweek will eventually become more common. For now, many workers are trying to redraw boundaries between work and life by fully signing off on evenings and weekends, limiting after-hours work calls, and saying no to extra projects.

Get Ahead: Stop saying 'sorry' too much at work

For many people, saying “I’m sorry” is second nature. But over-apologizing can backfire, especially in the workplace: It can make others think less of you, lower your self-esteem and water down the impact of future apologies.

So what are you supposed to say instead? 

• If you're running late, try: "I appreciate your patience"
• If you’re experiencing technical difficulties, say: "Thank you for working with me"
• If you want to join a conversation, use: "I'd love to add..." or "Here's a different perspective"

• If you’ve made an error, consider: “I take full responsibility” or “Thank you for the feedback”

On the Job: Bringing in $144,000 a year as a truck driver

This 36-year-old mom of two makes a living as a professional trucker — her company brought in $144,000 last year.

Work It Out: I'm fed up with her whining about her job

Senior Work editor Hanna Howard answers all your pressing career questions. 

Q: Help! My friend constantly complains about work and I can't take it any more.

A: As long as work and dealing with other people are part of our lives, complaining about work — and complaining about other people complaining about work — will be, too. But even though those are givens, it can become wearying when someone you care about gripes constantly.

I recommend a three-pronged approach, starting with asking a simple but powerful question: “Do you want to vent, or do you want my advice?”

Want your work question featured in a future column? Send an email to askmakeit@cnbc.com.

One Last Thought: