AndrewBauerneededawaytoinvigoratehisstaffworkingtheproductionline.

“Iusedtohavethemworkinguptonineor10hoursaday，”saidBauer，chiefexecutiveofficerofRoyceLeatherinSecaucus，NewJersey，intheUS，whichmakeswallets，luggageandotherleatheraccessories.

Butthelongerhisemployeesworked，themoretheirproductivitydeclined.Solastyear，aftertakingoverthepanyfromhisfather，Bauercuttheworkdayofhis15-personassemblylinebytwotothreehours，dependingontheposition.Workersstillreceivedthestandardbreaks，including45minutesforlunch.

Bauer’sgoalwastoboostefficiency，nottocutpayroll.Onthecontrary，heincreasedtheteam’spensationby15%.

Switchingtoaseven-hourworkdayspaidoff:outputwentup，withthelinechurningout10%to15%moremerchandiseeachday.Plus，headded，hisstaff—manyofwhomhavebeenwiththepanyonetothreedecades—appreciatedgettinghomeearlier.

Shorterworkdayshavemadeheadlineslately，thankstoGothenburg，Sweden.On1July，thecitybeganayear-longexperimentwithsix-hourdays，enlistingasegmentofgovernmentemployeestoworkless

thantheireight-hour-a-daycounterparts，forthesamepay.

Thehopeisthatstaffersworkingshorterdayswillacplishjustasmuch，onlywithmoreefficiencyandlesscallinginsick.It’saniceidea，butwillit—andothereffortstoshortenhoursintheoffice—work?

Whetherreducedworkdayssucceedmayhavemoretodowiththetypeofworkperformed，theworkloadandthemanagersoverseeingitthanthecountryorpanymakingthechange.Partoftheproblemisthatoneworkschedulewon’tnecessarilyfitallemployeesorjobdescriptions.

Notes

executiven．执行者；经理；主管人员；adj.执行的，有执行权的

boostn．推进，增加，支援；v.举，抬；推动；推；促进

churnn．搅乳器；v.用搅乳器搅

segmentn．部分；切片，断片；部门；线段；v.分割，切割；分割成部分；切成片

Task

Answerthequestions.

1．WhydidBauercutsomepeople’sworktime?

Togethigher/moreefficiency.

2．WhathappenedafterAndrewBauershortenedtheworktime?

Theoutputroseand