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The 2015 analysis of these data showed that as the number of hours worked increased, production also increased, but up to a certain point. Output per hour peaked at about 40 hours a week and then dropped.
The author of the study, Dr. John H Pencavel, a professor in the economics department of Stanford University, suggests that the number of hours worked per week is very interesting. "After one point (which probably varies from one worker to another and from one task to another), one extra hour of work produces more results (or better performance) if the worker has already worked 30 hours per week only if the worker has already worked 40 hours a week, "he says by e-mail.
Pencavel discusses the same ammunition workers in his book, Decreasing Returns to Work: The Consequences of Long Hours. He explains that workers usually work more than 50 hours a week, and sometimes up to 72 hours. The calculation of Pencavel figures shows that the weeks when production was highest were not the same as those in which the hours were the longest.
This means that, at some point, spending more hours on the problem does not help – and only increases operational costs.
Take leave
It's not just about working hours – days off are also important for productivity. Ammunition workers often worked several days in a row without rest. Saturday work was still common at the time and Sundays were reinstated in working days because of the war.
Sometimes, however, ammunitionettes have a Sunday off. The HMWC collected data covering both conditions and realized that a week of work without a day of rest did not benefit anyone. Production does not increase and workers are dissatisfied.
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