Small business owners should stop making their staff work unreasonable hours or they will face a lethargic workforce that will be ultimately incapable of performing key tasks, and will become resentful and unproductive.
This is the key finding of a new survey of almost 10,000 people conducted by the University of South Australia’s Centre for Work + Life, which also smashes the stereotype that younger workers aren’t putting in as many hours as older staff.
Report author and centre director Barbara Pocock says Australian small businesses owners push their staff too hard. This may be because they have Gen X staff and feel they are able to perform more, when in reality those workers would actually prefer to do less.
“I think we have a significant problem in Australia at the long-hours end of the spectrum. We need to get a good fit between when businesses think is an actual task that needs to be done quickly, and what can be put aside. I think that will help shrink hours.”
“I was recently in a taxi and the driver told me he was working 72 hours a week, six days a week, because his boss felt it was easier not to have the driver share with another, even though he could live on fewer hours. I think it really depends on individual situations, but there is a disconnect here. “
The survey shatters the stereotype that younger workers don’t actually put in more hours. Gen X men, aged between 33-44, put in the most effort at 45 hours per week, higher than Baby Boomers at 42 hours.
Gen Y are putting in their expected amount at 38.2 hours, with teens aged 18-19 only putting in about 28.6 per week.
However, the survey shows there is a severe disconnect between what staff are working and what hours they actually want to work. Gen X men only want to put in 40.4 hours, compared to their actual work rate of 45.1. Baby Boomers would like to work only 38.4 hours per week, compared to their rate of 42.5.
Gen X women are working 32 hours per week, but would prefer to work 29, while Gen Y women would actually like to increase their workload to 32.3 hours from 32.2.
Pocock says these longer hours are to be expected, but also show younger staff are not lazy.
“That stereotype is not true, and this report contradicts that. Generation X hours are more to do with where they are in a life cycle, paying a mortgage and so on. It’s dictated by household and lifestyle situation.”
Pocock says Generation Y workers are putting in fewer hours than Gen X, but this is more to do with their age. They are constantly connected to work via platforms like smartphones and social networking, and so while they leave work they are never actually “switched off”.
Pocock says the report states staff are unhappy with their work-life balance, and want bosses to take that into account, considering most of these extra hours are involuntary.
Other findings include:
• One quarter of women working full-time and one fifth of men are dissatisfied with their work-life balance.
• All generations share a common preference for a 35-hour work week.
• Most workers would prefer two weeks extra holidays than a pay rise.
• Many workers don’t actually take holidays, with about 60% stockpiling leave, and this behaviour results in a worse work-life interaction.
• Work pressure severely affects staff who decide not to take leave.
• The majority of workers say they are frequently rushed and are without time to do essential tasks.
So what’s the solution?
Pocock says the first thing business owners must do is forget the idea young workers have all the time in the world. They don’t, especially those in their early 30s, and need to strike a healthy life-work balance that will enable them to be most productive.
“We are not looking at generational differences here, so much as differences that are individual and reflected in history. This report shatters that myth younger generations aren’t working, so business owners need to keep that in mind when assigning tasks.”
The most important strategy is flexible working arrangements. If Gen X staff are putting in more hours involuntarily, and are feeling rushed for time to actually complete those tasks, then Pocock says they need to be given the ability to perform those tasks in the manner most appropriate to their lifestyle.
“I think in general so many people who want to work fewer hours and that shows we have a significant problem assigning do-able jobs where workers can actually get those jobs done in the allotted time period.”
“We need to make sure we have jobs where workers can actually get the job done, survive, and then last a long time in the labour market without getting burned out. Business owners need to think about this more carefully.”
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
