The productive 8-hour workday is a myth, and we need to stop believing it

We’re busier than ever. We have a million “urgent” things vying for our attention: constant notifications, an incessant stream of emails, and endless meetings. Throw AI into the mix, and the expectation is we should be increasing our output even further. But all this work hides a bigger question: how much of this is meaningful work? The truth is, not all tasks are necessary or productive, yet the eight-hour workday rewards the amount of time you spend at your desk and the visibility that comes with it. In an environment with fraught job security, many of us feel a fair amount of pressure to look, and be, busy. Our productivity obsession is making us less productive The data helps clarify things. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, labor productivity decreased by 0.2% in 2024-25. In 2023, GDP per hour worked declined by 3.6%, one of the sharpest drops on record. Productivity growth remains well below the long-term average. Internationally, you see this problem across a range of countries. According to the OECD, labor productivity growth was subdued in 2024. This is a slowdown that has persisted since the global financial crisis of 2007-2009. We might be working more, …