“A better rested work force is more relaxed, more focused and tackles tasks with a greater degree of creativity.”
The following article was written by Callagy Law’s Legal Team, and will focus on many common questions and concerns surrounding new developments, legal matters, and other procedures within the field of healthcare law Medical Revenue Recovery, PIP, Workers Compensation, and Commercial Insurance. Our mission is to answer any questions and give knowledge to many different aspects of these matters.
The 40-hour work week is a staple of American culture. Its origins date back to the mid 19th century when labor unions attempted but ultimately failed to pass legislation mandating an eight hour work day. In 1869, President Ulysses S. Grant issued a proclamation that guaranteed an eight hour work day for government employees. Grant’s decision encouraged employees of the private sector to fight for the same right. Labor unions organized strikes that sometimes ended in deadly confrontations with the police.
In 1926, the Ford Motor Companies adopted a five day, 40-hour work week. Henry Ford’s motivation for reducing the amount of time his employers worked was purely economical. Ford’s changes increased productivity and profits. Other companies soon followed Ford’s lead. The average hours in the workweek declined for most of the 20th century. In 1930, economist John Keynes predicted that his grandchildren would have a 15 hour workweek. However, during the 1980s work hours began to increase. Now, the prospect of a 40 hour work week would be welcome news to many. Nearly half of Americans claim to work over 40 hours a week.
However, according to a survey from AtTask conducted by Harris Poll, American employees spend only 45 percent of their time on primary job duties. A large part of the workday is lost answering emails, going to wasteful meetings and general interruptions. Furthermore, studies have shown that longer work hours are associated with higher injury rates. A University of Massachusetts Medical School study showed that jobs with overtime schedules have a 61 percent higher injury hazard rate compared to jobs without overtime. The results suggest that job schedules with long hours are not more dangerous because of an inherent job risk or because they are at risk for a longer time. Rather, it suggests that human error increases with longer hours.
There is a lack of empirical evidence to suggest that longer work hours lead to more productivity. Counter intuitively, evidence suggests that a better rested work force is more relaxed, more focused and tackles tasks with a greater degree of creativity. Additionally, employers could save on the incidental costs of worker injuries and illness caused by longer work hours.
We hope you found the information provided in this article helpful to various questions you may have had concerning the healthcare industry. For information pertaining to our services for medical providers, please click here. Please note, Callagy Law has recovered over $175,000,000 for medical providers, and that number grows daily. Please free to reach out to Sean Callagy of Callagy Law at any time for questions you may have concerning personal and business matters. Callagy Law offices are located conveniently in Paramus, NJ. Beyond the scope of information, Sean Callagy has developed multiple areas of our healthcare legal practice and business coaching. Feel free to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn! Additionally you can subscribe to our daily videos on YouTube.
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Why Keep the 40 Hour Work Week | Callagy Law
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