COVID-19 has accelerated changes in how we work and live. Many of those developments – such as fewer hours at our desks and more flexible working arrangements – not only benefit workers but also economies because they enhance productivity, a recent report from the International Labour Organization (ILO) has found. The Working Time and Work-Life Balance Around the World report confirms previous research that long hours are especially harmful to work-life balance, leading to lower life satisfaction. That said, it also highlights that part-time work can also be a problem when people would like to work longer hours to boost their earnings. Overall, mismatches between workers’ actual hours of work and their preferred hours of work tend to lead to poorer outcomes for physical and mental health.

The ILO has examined the most common working models and explored what works well and what does not:

 The standard workweek (8-hour says, five or six days per week) provides stability, but is often too inflexible to allow time for family demands.

 Shift work can provide greater flexibility but may require work during unusual hours, which has been linked to significant health risks and family-life disruptions.

 On-call work – based on highly unpredictable “just-in-time” schedules – can negatively affect workers’ health. Flexible schedules that allow work to be carried out within certain time frames can lead to an optimal work-life balance.