NO ONE WILL MISS JOBS:

What does working less actually solve, I was asked recently. I'd rather turn the question around: is there anything that working less does not solve?

Take climate change. A worldwide shift to a shorter working week could cut the CO2 emitted this century by half. Countries with a shorter working week have a smaller ecological footprint. Consuming less starts with working less - or, better yet - with consuming our prosperity in the form of leisure.

Overtime is deadly. Long working days lead to more errors: tired surgeons are more prone to slip-ups and soldiers who get too little shut-eye are more prone to miss targets. From Chernobyl to the space shuttle Challenger, overworked managers often prove to have played a role in disasters. It is no coincidence that the financial sector, which triggered the biggest disaster of the past decade, is absolutely groaning with people doing overtime.

Countless studies have shown that people who work less are more satisfied with their lives. In a recent poll conducted among working women, German researchers quantified the "perfect day". The largest share of minutes (106) would go toward "intimate relationships". Down at the bottom of the list were work (36) and commuting (33). The researchers noted that "in order to maximise wellbeing it is likely that working and consuming (which increases GDP) might play a smaller role in people's daily activities compared with now".

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