9 Reasons Why A 6-Hour Work Day Will Fail Miserably In Malaysia
This is why we can't have nice things.
For a few years now, Sweden has been experimenting with 6-hour work days in a bid to increase productivity, make people happier, as well as to leave employees with more energy to enrich their personal lives
It wasn't long before the Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC) demanded that the local workforce adopt the same policy
“We urge the government to reduce the working hours to six hours as practiced in other developed nations. For example in Sweden which has enforced their working hours to six from eight previously,” MTUC president Mohd Khalid Atan was quoted saying in a Harian Metro report.
themalaymailonline.com
While many employees - us included - would readily welcome a shorter work day, it's probably not going to work in the long run. Why? Let us count the ways:
1. Based on the amount of people visiting government offices - especially the Immigration Department - daily, officials will probably be on a constant time crunch to attend to everyone as well as to process such applications
At the end of the day, they will probably have to work overtime anyway to accommodate the crowd.
2. Since parents are getting off work earlier now, you're definitely going to see more cars parked in front of schools to wait for their kids to finish school or after-school activities. More cars = TRAFFIC JAM.
3. Shopping malls would be crowded as heck because everyone has too much free time with no idea what to do with it. Also, FREE AIR-CON.
4. You'd actually get even more stressed out, because you only have 6 hours to complete the work that you usually have 8 hours to do
That means no more 20-minute coffee breaks by the water cooler or watching cute puppy YouTube videos while you're at work! *shudders*
5. Expect your boss to constantly get all up in your face for not getting your work done ahead of time. #lagistress
6. Working less hours means you're probably gonna spend more money. Don't believe us? Let's do the math:
Less work = more free time.
More free time = more driving.
More driving = more petrol.
More petrol = need more money.
QED: You need more money, but you are literally being told to work less.
See the problem?
7. Those who have work-from-home flexibilities would probably do just that every single day
Why waste time travelling and getting stuck in a traffic jam for way longer that you have to work, right?
8. Most people are going to claim OT and replacement leave days for working more than 6 hours anyway
9. Don't be surprised when your boss announces that NO ONE is getting any bonuses or pay raise or company trip because HR had to hire more people to cover the hours lost
