Pros and Cons of Additional Overtime

The Economist magazine takes a look at the subject of how many hours should employees work.  Some studies show the world’s employed adult population works an average of 42 hours per week.  While some surveys show workers in German and Britain would consider an optimal work week around 37 hours, Americans would like to work longer and get more money. 

Another consideration is productivity.  A Stanford University professor analyzed the output of British munition workers and found that beyond a threshold of 48 hours, output from each additional hour worked started to decline.  Beyond 63 hours per week, the extra time did nothing for total output.  

Then there is the issue of cost.  Theoretically, it makes sense to increase the hours of existing workers as long as they are adding value.  Some fixed costs do not change with additional work hours.  

Safety is also a factor.  Studies show that safety issues increased in long shifts. 

Some would emphasize quality.  The balance here may be between whether the fatigue is a price worth paying for more experience.

There are reports that Google is working on AI products where a 60-hour week is the “sweet spot.”  Elon Musk famously said that no one ever changed the world on a 40-hour work week.  But the optimal work week should probably be defined by output, not hours.

This article is part of our March 2026 Newsletter. 

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