Rose Padfield wrote a really interesting piece about how switching off can stimulate creativity and working less is actually smarter as you tend to be more productive than working longer.
Presenteeism, she says, has become the badge of the busy and important.
Recently, a fellow freelancer told me that she went for walks to generate ideas.
And I must admit that it is during the quieter moments when I’m not attached to a phone or laptop that gems pop into to my head.
Who doesn’t have a brainwave when they are in the shower or just before falling asleep?
Four-day week experiment
Perpetual Guardian in New Zealand trialled a four-day working week while still paying a five day a week salary to see if a better work-life balance would be beneficial to the business.
The experiment has been deemed a success with stress levels down and higher levels of employee satisfaction.
Employees also came up with innovative ways to work more efficiently so the business wouldn’t be impacted.
The owner of the company is considering making it permanent.
It’s a radical step and unlikely to see mainstream adoption any time soon but businesses can encourage staff to take breaks and discourage presenteeism.
Focus on the type of office space
Perhaps too there should be a focus on the type of space in offices.
Open plan offices are mainstream with easy communication and collaborative working.
The problem is that the noise in the office has become one of the top complaints made by employees.
Should equal emphasis be given to quiet spaces, places to take a break, think and fire up the creative part of the brain?
Today is World Mental Health Day and charity Mind has great tips and advice for staying healthy at work.
