Dear Commons Community,

Many businesses in Sweden are having employees work fewer hours with the goal of becoming more productive. The move also comes in a bid to boost workers’ private time with family.  As reported in the Associated Press:

Toyota centers in the country apparently made the change 13 years ago. Last year, businesses in Stockholm also introduced a six-hour work day. In an interview with Fast Company, Linus Feldt, CEO of app developer Filimundus, said, “The eight-hour work day is not as effective as one would think.”

Feldt continued, “To stay focused on a specific work task for eight hours is a huge challenge. In order to cope, we mix in things and pauses to make the work day more endurable. At the same time, we are having it hard to manage our private life outside of work.”

Fortune magazine previously wrote about several other companies in Gothenburg which made the switch earlier this year.

Tony