Danish working hours are 8-4 and overtime is frowned upon. The Danes are trusted to work hard, achieve and then deal with the important things – collecting the kids, getting outdoors, baking. Unlike the British work ethic, burning the midnight oil won’t get you a pat on the back; you’ll simply receive a lecture on time management.
Where can I sign up?
Relocating the family to Denmark is a bit dramatic so try the next best thing – take a leaf out of our Scandi cousins’ book and introduce flexible working hours.
Not only does this make for happier, less stressed employees, it creates better, more impassioned work. Some of our creatives are extremely talented but due to childcare commitments they can’t do the 9am to midnight shifts.
Here at Town Mouse Country Mouse, set hours aren’t the norm. We all put in 7.5 hours a day but when is up to us. As long as we don’t miss a deadline, we get to create our own working day.
A family life can function as part of a career. If that means doing six hours during the day before picking the kids up, followed by another 90 mins once they’re tucked up in bed, so be it.
Having this time away from the desk also gives the brain cells a rest, while experiencing the joy children bring to your life.
And those who don’t have kids? Flexible hours give them the time to get some proper headspace – a gym session when it’s quiet, a trip to that exhibition or simply getting home during daylight hours.
Start trusting your employees and introduce a work-life balance that makes for happier employees. There’ll be less resenting work. And in our case, great copywriting that only comes from contented creatives.
