Want a Shorter Workday? Move to Sweden

Want a shorter workday? Move to Sweden. The eight-hour workday is considered the backbone of the blue-collar life, but it doesn't have to be that way. Several Swedish companies are instituting six-hour workdays for the same pay, and they claim productivity has increased. Thirteen years ago, Toyota switched its Gothenburg facilities to two six-hour shifts with reduced breaks. "Staff feel better, there is low turnover and it is easier to recruit new people," says a spokesperson. Gothenburg municipal staff has also tested the shorter work day. A recent poll found 40% of Americans work 50 hours a week, but a Stanford study indicates that such long hours negatively affect job performance and productivity.