Good news if you are over forty and feeling exhausted at work.
Apart from the fact that you are twice as much fun as a twenty year old, research by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research has shown that working more than thirty hours a week is detrimental for this age group. It was found that those who worked more than fifty-five hours a week showed more signs of cognitive impairment than people who were retired, unemployed, or didn’t work at all.
The Australian study looked at 3,500 women and 3,000 men aged 40 and over, who completed cognitive function tests while their performance at work was monitored. Their ability to read words out loud, recite lists of numbers, and match letters and numbers in timed trials was tested by Professor Colin McKenzie and his team.
Professor McKenzie told The Times:
“It’s very difficult to identify the causal effects of the type of work on cognitive functions. People may be selected into certain occupations according to their cognitive abilities. Working full time – over 40 hours a week – is still better than no work in terms of maintaining cognitive function, but it is not maximizing the potential effects of work.”
Professor McKenzie also noted that many countries hope to raise the retirement age, making people work for longer as they will be unable to claim benefits until later. He believes that part time work may be beneficial in retaining brain function in middle aged and older people.
What do you think? Is a three day week the best solution for everyone, regardless of age?
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