Working Overtime Can Be A Poor Investment Of Time

A study by Harvard University economist Juliet Schor revealed that employees are putting in the equivalent of an extra month of work each year as compared to the hours put in by workers in the 1970's. Another American study discovered that the percentage of workers who are regularly putting in 50-hour weeks has nearly doubled since 1995. It may be even worse in Japan, where, according to the book, Sanity Savers, by Ann Douglas, each year more than 10,000 Japanese workers die as a result of Karoshi - death by overwork.

It appears that these long hours are in many cases put in willingly by people who relate the amount of time spent on the job to success, improved results and increased productivity. An article in the February 3, 1999 issue of the Financial Post quoted David Lunsford of Dell Computer Corp. as saying, "I often hear people proudly claim they work 100-hour weeks." Unfortunately, much of the extra time spent on work, is extracted from sleep time, family time and recreation. This in turn endangers our health as well as our relationships. According to an article in the May 7, 1999 issue of The Toronto Star [Feeling Sleep Starved? Welcome to the Club, by Leslie Papp.] "Lack of sleep makes people moody, impatient, unable to concentrate, less attentive. Over time it can take a toll on their physical and mental health and significantly affect performance."

You don't manage time effectively by working longer hours, even though many successful and wealthy people may have credited their success to their long hours of dedication to the job. Aristotle Onassis, the multi-millionaire business tycoon was quoted as saying, "I have learned the value and importance of time; therefore, I work two additional hours each day and in that way I gain the equivalent of one additional month each year."

It may be true that in the short term, longer hours will provide additional results proportionate to the results you obtain during your normal working hours. But if you are only 50% effective during the day, you will only be 50% effective during your extended day as well. Are you willing to sacrifice four hours of your personal time to obtain two hours of additional results?

It would make more sense to maximize your effectiveness during regular working hours, eliminating the timewasters and using the time saved to work on key result areas. Effectiveness involves working on priorities. A principal spending time with a teacher, for example, resulting in improved teaching, could influence a generation of students. And a manager, devoting time each day to achieving a professional goal, could have a positive impact on everyone within his or her area of influence. Effective workers recognize that it's more important to utilize their time wisely than to attempt to get more time to utilize. It is not wise to extend inefficiencies. You must eliminate them.

Once you become extremely effective during the day, with minimal wasted time, you can extend this effective time into the evenings. That is, if you want to become an Aristotle Onassis. Most of us will settle for a successful career and a satisfying and rewarding personal life. You may not even want to aim for the top for you will meet many workaholics en route.

How many hours you work is up to you. We all have different personal objectives. But from a time management perspective, it is unwise to extend your working hours until you are managing your present working hours as effectively and efficiently as possible. It's not the number of hours that you put into your work that determines your results. It's what you put into those hours.