Forty-Seven Hour Work Week

Forty-Seven Hour Work Week

Amy Clark, Megan Wold,

Rose Mukanyangezi, and Michelle Carlson

The Problem

Who:The majority of American citizens who work

consistently more than forty hours a week. Excluding seasonal workers, who may only work extended hours for a short period of time.

Forty-Seven Hour Work Week

The Problem

What:The idea that working more than a forty hour

work week has many distressing consequences on not only the individual, but also those around the individual.

Forty-Seven Hour Work Week

The ProblemForty-Seven Hour Work Week

Where:The majority of individuals who work more

than a forty hour work week, tend to be in the lower and middle classes of urban America.

The Problem

When:Individuals who work consistently more than

forty hours a week are found to be between the ages of 25-60. Those younger than 25 are either seeking education or a permanent place in the work force. And those over the age of 60 are either preparing or enjoying retirement.

Forty-Seven Hour Work Week

The Problem

Why:According to Rutherford and Tucker, there are many

reasons for why American’s work overtime, the six main reasons include:

Forty-Seven Hour Work Week

•To Cope with the workload

•Told by a supervisor or roster clerk

•To earn more money

•To improve career prospects

•To improve and maintain job security

•A lack of other commitments

The Problem

How:(does it affect individuals?)

When an individual spends more time at work, they are spending less time at home with their families, which can lead to attachment problems with children. So many shifts in a week at extended hours, deny sufficient opportunity for recovery between shifts. With a higher income, individuals assume they can buy more objects which create a vicious cycle of adding more hours to their schedule in order to accommodate their spending habits.

Forty-Seven Hour Work Week

The Ideal StateCondensing the work week to only a four day work

week, Monday through Thursday, in which it is regulated for individuals to take three days as relaxation away from work. Benefit packages increased by employers, enabling individuals to use their money in other areas of the living wage. With a three day weekend and higher benefits workers will spend more time exercising to increase health, relaxing to decrease stress, spending time at home with their family and enjoying the life that they have.

Procedure of Treatment

1. A governmental law entitling a three day weekend, and decreasing the hourly work week to thirty-six(36) hours.

2. Raise the minimum wage to $8.00 an hour, in order to accommodate for the rising living wage.

3. Employers to provide for all employees. The amount of benefits received depend on the amount of hours you work. A partial benefit package for part-time workers, and increasing until you receive a full benefit package for working thirty-six hours a week.

4. A three week vacation given to all employees, with no roll over in to the next fiscal year, to encourage employees to take more time off.

5. Promotion of events such as a family night or picnic with games and activities for families to enjoy, instead of spending time working. Events would be sponsored by the employer.

Theoretical SupportCoulter, Ann., Matthew F. Bumpus, Melissa R. Head and Susan M. McHale. 2001.

“Implications of Overwork and Overload for the Quality of Men’s Family Relationships.” Journal of Marriage and the Family 63:404-416. (Found that adolescents tend to be closer to their mothers than their fathers to begin with, and longer work hours may make the father seem even more distant. Also that there is a correlations between low job satisfaction and family demands.)

Golden, Lonnie and Barbara Wiens-Tuers. 2005. “Mandatory Overtime Work in the United States: Who, Where, and What?” Labor Studies Journal 30:1-26. (Found that mandatory overtime workers are disproportionately male, foreign-born, and non-urban residents. Occupations in transportation, farming, machine operation, and agriculture are more likely to require overtime. Mandatory overtime may have negative outcomes, such as work-family conflict and poorer quality of work climate. Mandatory overtime does not necessarily reduce job satisfaction or the feeling that work is central to one’s life.)

Lautsch, Brenda A. and Maureen A. Scully. 2007 “Restructuring Time: Implication of Work-Hours Reductions for the Working Class.” Human Relations 60: 719-743. (Found that Americans may be working longer hours because of a cycle of consumerism - social pressure to keep purchasing what others have.Some overworked employees turn to cocaine in order to meet their work demands.)

Theoretical SupportTucker, Philip and Celia Rutherford. 2005. “Moderators of the Relationship

Between Long Work Hours and Health.” Journal of Occupational Health Psychology 10:465-476. (Found the Six main reasons why Americans work overtime, including coping with the workload, earning more money and a lack of other commitments. Overtime work is thought to be more harmful than working compressed weeks comprising longer shifts because working more than the standard number of hours per week (I.e. working overtime) denies sufficient opportunity for recuperation between shifts.)

Van Der Hulst, Monique and Sabine Geurts. 2001. “Associations Between Overtime and Psychological Health in High and Low Reward Jobs.” Work and Stress 15:227-240. (Found that employees who are pressured to work overtime in combination with low rewards experience elevated risks of poor recovery, cynicism, and negative work-home interference. Overtime, by itself, is not associated with increased risk of adverse psychological health. Rather, low rewards and pressure to work overtime are associated with high risk of adverse psychological health.)

Range of Application

This treatment strategy covers all individuals who are employed in a permanent position. It excludes college students and the semi-retired. It excludes those working in the food industries, retail workers, convenience store workers and hospital professionals.

Unintended Consequences

1. The cost of living will continue to rise.2. By decreasing the work week and

increasing minimum wage, wanting to work overtime will increase.

3. Increase in free time results in violence because individuals have too much time.

4. Smaller companies will not be able to afford benefit packages and company sponsored events, resulting in a closing of the company.

Success or Failure?A few measures that would show the success of the

treatment strategy include 1) a drop in the divorce rate 2) an increase in the length of life 3) greater job satisfaction 4) increased spending with family time ex: movies, zoo visits

A few measures that would show the failure of the treatment strategy include 1) increased number of smaller companies closing 2) an increased number of layoffs because of the financial burdens placed on companies 3) an increase in the amount of debt consumers have because of increased spending and decreased potential salary.

Questions?The Problem: Who

The Problem: What

The Problem: Where

The Problem: When

The Problem: Why

The Problem: How

The Ideal State

Procedure of Treatment

Theoretical Support

Theoretical Support (cont.)

Range of Application

Unintended Consequences

Success or Failure