Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER December 14, 2015 INSIGHT 19 Do 6-hour work days make more sense? Swedish experiment could provide much-needed proof In North America, as is the case in many other nations across the world, we've be- come quite accustomed to — and don't re- ally question — the standard eight-hour/ five-day workweek, with slight variations in diff erent nations and occupations respectively. In many ways, this model can be attributed to the eff orts of Henry Ford as the Ford Motor Company became one of the fi rst companies in North American to adopt these hours in its automotive factories in 1926 and its offi ces in 1927. Fast forward to today and we can see the global populace hasn't deviated far from this work time model. However, we may be on the cusp of starting to see change — for the better. Across the Atlantic ocean, a progressive nation is experiment- ing with changing a model that has proven to be not all that eff ec- tive. e municipal government of Gothenburg in Sweden — which consists of the Left Party, the So- cial Democrats and the Green Party — has decided to enact a one-year experiment that reduces working hours to 30 hours a week, with full pay, in at least one city department, while retaining the 40-hour working week in others — essentially using the latter as a control group. e political majority in Go- thenburg is hoping the experi- ment will result in fewer sick days being used, better mental and physical health among staff , more job creation and higher productivity. The project is estimated to cost between C$770,000 and C$920,000 and while originally it involved the elderly care sector, it's taken a foothold in other sec- tors such as Gothenburg's Sahlg- renska University hospital, where orthopaedic surgery has moved to a six-hour day, as have doctors and nurses in two hospital depart- ments in Umeå to the north. And the trend has not been confi ned to just the public sec- tor — there have also been small businesses in the region that have joined in with claims a shorter day has increased productivity while reducing staff turnover. As an HR professional, it is an interesting study to follow and I am convinced there will be many academics and professionals alike who will want to read the results of this study come next year. It is also refreshing to see a municipal gov- ernment pushing the envelope by heading into unchartered territory. I couldn't be happier to see the traditional model challenged. Es- pecially when academics have car- ried out studies that show cutting back on hours can have substan- tial benefi ts, and not just because people are usually happier when they work less — it can also boost productivity. For example, a comprehensive study carried out in 2015 by Tae- hyun Ahn of Sogang University in Seoul demonstrated there are indeed eff ects on health-related behaviours. e results indicated a reduction in work hours induced individuals to exercise regularly, as well as decreasing the likelihood of smoking. Another 1997 study in the Quarterly Journal of Economics suggested taxi drivers had a daily income "target" and "when wages are high, drivers will reach their target more quickly and quit early; on low-wage days, they will drive longer hours to reach the target." Essentially, higher pay does not, on net, lead workers to do more. Rather, they may work less. Many different studies seem to make a compelling case that the standard eight-hour/fi ve-day workweek isn't necessarily the "golden goose" model we thought it to be. While Sweden's six-hour work day experiment is set to continue until the end of 2016, it's not the fi rst test to challenge the standard. In 1989, another Swedish munici- pality, Kiruna, enacted a six-hour working day for its entire home- care services. However, this stan- dard was abolished in 2005 and, unfortunately, no evaluations of this policy took place. But the world was a diff erent place in 1989 and with the global population more connected than ever before, this news from Go- thenburg has attracted interest across the Scandinavia region and beyond the European Union. While Henry Ford was a pio- neer of his time for many reasons, and a champion of a new standard workweek, he too wasn't entirely sold on this idea as a forever last- ing solution either. As he noted in the Ford News in 1926, "Probably the next move will come in the direction of shortening the day rather than the week." Michael Burzynski is an e-learning designer and developer at First Na- tional in Oakville, Ont., and a mas- ter of human resource management candidate. Attracting, engaging young workers How unionized workplaces can appeal to the younger demographics Question: As a unionized workplace, how can we better attract, engage and retain young workers? Answer: Union density rates have been slowly but steadily de- clining in Canada over the past few decades, particularly in the private sector. A number of ex- perts in organized labour have lamented the fact union mem- bership does not seem to appeal to many young workers in this day and age. is has implications not only for unions themselves, but for unionized employers when it comes to recruiting, engaging and retaining young workers. Some experts believe youth are no longer interested in join- ing unions, that they do not see themselves fi tting into the union- ized culture or they are becoming more entrepreneurial and, there- fore, less likely to want to join an organization they see as bureau- cratic, rule-bound and infl exible. But these interpretations are questionable. While it is diffi cult to organize young workers who frequently change jobs, it does not mean they aren't interested in stable employment with a union- ized organization. Rather, research conducted in the United Kingdom — such as the 2002 study "Unions Fit forY- oung Workers?" in the Industrial Relations Journal — provides use- ful insights that not only explain the relatively low union density among young workers, but also what employers, HR profession- als and labour organizations can do to attract, engage and retain young workers in unionized environments. e issue appears to be strongly correlated with employer opposi- tion to unions and union mem- bership and general union inef- fi ciencies, which employers, HR professionals and union leaders should address collectively. Too much bureaucracy A dilemma facing employers and unions is workplace environments that are too bureaucratic, with too many rules on how employees are "supposed" to communicate and collaborate with others within a unionized workplace, whether dealing with a grievance, deciding who does what or simply asking a question. To engage young workers, HR needs to improve labour-man- agement relations by encouraging them to work more closely togeth- er in an environment that is more of a partnership. Rules around communication and allocation of work should be relaxed to re- move the tension young workers perceive. Adversarial relationships Part of this problem is rooted in the adversarial nature of the rela- tionship between employers and unions, where there is some de- gree of scepticism and discontent. Historically, labour conditions for workers were poor, to say the least, and when unions began forming in the mid-19 th century, the relationship between the two sides became understandably adversarial. However, this model negatively aff ects employee en- gagement with respect to young workers, who want to work more collaboratively in more of a team environment. HR has a big role to play in changing young workers' per- ceptions by encouraging greater collaboration and promoting the benefi ts of joining unionized workplaces that have positive and healthy union-management relations. Employer attitudes While HR has a duty to work in the interests of management and the employer, part of its mandate is to work with unions — particu- larly with respect to issues sur- rounding recruitment, retention and engagement. HR also has an important role to play in resolv- ing confl ict and acting as a me- diator between management and labour. HR professionals should be encouraging senior executives and board members to avoid tak- ing a hard-line approach in deal- ing with union certifi cation, col- lective bargaining and grievance arbitration. Employers might benefi t from promoting the advantages of working in a unionized environ- ment such as above-average pay and benefi ts, enhanced job securi- ty, having a forum for employees' issues and concerns to be dealt with fairly and impartially, and a feeling of camaraderie. Union ineffi ciencies HR also has a role to play in help- ing unions to connect with and understand the concerns aff ect- ing young workers. Unfortunately, real and perceived union ineffi - ciencies are not making it desir- able for young workers to become actively engaged. These include many unions' attachment to seniority clauses that are not meeting the needs of today's youth, who have shorter tenure in organizations than old- er workers and are therefore less likely to benefi t from seniority clauses. HR professionals should be playing a larger role in collective bargaining and contract admin- istration by presenting evidence of the negative impacts of senior- ity clauses on younger workers. ese clauses aff ect every aspect of a young worker's employ- ment, from when they can take vacations to who is eligible for transfers, promotions and pay increases. Like employers, young work- ers want equal advancement op- portunities that enable the most talented individuals to get the job. By not reforming outdated practices based on traditional union principles and ideals, unionized workplaces risk further alienating young workers. HR can become a true business partner by bringing an evidence-based approach to union-management relations. In this sense, HR can help to create an organizational culture that is friendly to younger workers. Ignoring such issues could lead to poor morale, engagement and retention among younger employees. It could also become more diffi cult to attract young tal- ent, making succession planning more diffi cult. HR must redefi ne its role within unionized organizations as a busi- ness partner that works with both sides of the table to create an en- vironment where young workers are actively engaged in organiza- tions that truly care about their interests. Yaseen Hemeda is a product developer at Carswell in Toronto and co-author of HR Manager's Guide to Succession Planning (to be published in January 2016). He can be reached at yaseen.hemeda@thomsonreuters. com. For more information, visit www.carswell.com. By Michael Burzynski GUest CoMMentarY In North America, as is the case in many other nations across the world, we've be- come quite accustomed to — and don't re- ally question — the standard eight-hour/ Even Henry Ford predicted shorter work weeks would be the next move. HR must act as a business partner that works with both sides. As a unionized workplace, how can we better attract, engage and retain young Yaseen Hemeda ToUGhest HR QUestion

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