Why 21 is not the key to the door of work-life balance

Think tank the New Economic Foundation (NEF) has called for a cut in the working week to 21 hours. While this influential body’s recommendation is well intentioned, its suggestion that work-life balance and other major issues will be solved through shorter standard hours for full-time employment is misplaced and, at worst, delusionary.

The foundation’s intention to highlight the issues facing the UK workforce because of a continuing long-hours culture – for example, the significant challenges in managing caring responsibilities, pursuing individual life aspirations or simply not having any time to relax – is clear and correct. Certainly, such a drastic statement causes us to look up and take notice, but it does not tackle the fundamental problem that has led us to a world where work takes precedence over almost everything else.