I realize that right now during the busy summer season you would prefer that your screen shop production staff not see this post—and you probably don’t like the message implied by the headline either. However, there really is a danger inherent in long hours.
Even Henry Ford who famously said that as a business owner you need to to always be thinking about your business, eventually realized that he had an overwork problem. He cut his employees’ schedules from 48-hour weeks to 40 hours a week because the longer hours had been causing them to make many errors.
From my own experience I can assure you that working long hours often leads to productivity-killing distractions as fatigue leads to a lack of focus. Work less and you’ll tend to work better.
Enlightened organizations understand the dangers inherent in long hours. I once read how the Michigan-based software company, Menlo Innovations, looks down on employees who clock more than 40 hours a week. They see overwork not as a sign of dedication, but as a indication of inefficiency.
I know that many a business owner falls into the trap of long hours. I also know that those long hours become a habit and, in the final analysis, are not really productive. I know this because I was in that trap for many years.
Think about it.