HR expert warned about the risks of switching to a 60-hour work week

An increase in the working week to 60 hours can lead to a massive outflow of employees, reduced productivity and increased burnout. Anna Alikova, an independent HR expert, told Izvestia on March 31.

According to her, the most likely consequence will be increased staff turnover: qualified specialists will leave for companies with more comfortable working conditions. This will particularly affect young employees — representatives of generation Z, for whom balance and flexibility are important, are unlikely to be ready to work in this mode.

"Against the background of tightening schedules, interest in remote work will increase. It can become an alternative for employees who want to maintain control over their time and reduce the workload associated with traveling to the office," the expert explained.

Alikova stressed that an increase in working hours would negatively affect efficiency. After 40-45 hours, productivity begins to decline, and with a 60-hour workload, the risk of burnout, mistakes, and missed work increases. In her opinion, it is possible to keep employees motivated in such conditions only with a significant increase in wages.

The expert named parents with children, employees with long travel times to work, as well as employees of continuous production, including doctors and operators, among the most vulnerable categories.

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In addition, according to her assessment, such a schedule will lead to the destruction of the balance between work and personal life, which can negatively affect health, family relationships and demographic indicators.

As an alternative, Alikova proposed more flexible employment formats, including hybrid schedules, a four-day working week with extended shift duration, and a clear restriction on overtime with additional pay.

On March 30, Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska on Monday, March 30, called on the Russian Federation to switch to a six-day work schedule from 08:00 to 20:00. According to the entrepreneur, such measures are necessary to accelerate the transformation in the face of external constraints. Yaroslav Nilov, head of the State Duma Committee on Labor, Social Policy and Veterans' Affairs, said that the issue of switching to a six-day working week was not being discussed in the State Duma, and no relevant bills had been introduced.

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