Three out of four employees in Spain have a split working day, compared to the 25% that work an intensive working day, according to the National Working Conditions Survey of the National Statistical Institute. However, which is more beneficial for workers and employers?
As the above-mentioned report shows, in most cases, it is the companies that decide the working hours of the workers without the possibility of changes on the part of the latter. However, 6% of employed persons can choose between several fixed working hours; 13% can adapt their working hours within certain limits (flexitime); and 15% can determine their working hours entirely. If this is your case, Which would you choose: intensive or split day?
The intensive day, also called continuous, is one that takes place consecutively without any breaks during it., except for those legally mandated breaks. This would be the case, for example, for workers who start their shift at 7 a.m. and finish at 3 p.m., or those who start at the company at 4 p.m. and leave at midnight.
On the contrary, Split-shift work is when the hours spent on daily duties are divided into two blocks., The time in between is set at two to three hours, usually for lunch.
However, it should be borne in mind that both models have their advantages and disadvantages.
The biggest benefit of the intensive working day is that it improves the Work-life balance of the employees. By working eight hours continuously and leaving the office early, staff have the opportunity to enjoy a large part of the afternoon or morning – depending on their shift – for personal matters, improving job satisfaction and motivation, and also generating savings for the company on electricity costs, air conditioning, machinery…
On the opposite side, The intensive workday also presents serious difficulties for workers, they will see how their work pace intensifies to be able to attend to all matters throughout the day and The 15-minute breaks every 6 hours stipulated by law may be insufficient, causing wear and tear on the employee which will be reflected in their Motivation, satisfaction and performance.
For the company, furthermore, the use of continuous working hours can pose problems for adapting to suppliers' schedules that they do maintain split shifts or customers, which require larger public service hours.
For its part, The split working day can also present the same advantages as the intensive working day if it is adapted to the needs of the workers. For example, if instead of a 3-hour break between 2 PM and 5 PM, as is common in many Spanish companies, a one-hour or half-hour lunch break is agreed upon, employees could leave at 6 PM instead of 8 PM, also allowing them to reconcile their work and personal life, enjoy sufficient downtime to maintain intensity at work and not affect coordination for the organisation with suppliers or consumers.
Furthermore, if the company is committed to offer staff social benefits such as the ticket restaurant or the childminder, so that professionals can cover the cost of their meals or their children's nursery services, their motivation will increase.
For this reason, it is necessary to reflect again on the concept of split working time and its advantages, The use of this approach can be very effective in creating teams that are motivated, productive and satisfied with their working conditions.
