A better balance between work and family, higher productivity in companies, better school performance... The Association for the Rationalization of Spanish Schedules (ARHOE) works to raise awareness about the quality of life that Spaniards would gain if our timetable were more rational and adapted to the European one. According to ARHOE, Spanish time should be guided by Greenwich Mean Time and not Berlin Time, as it is now.
Let's get into the time machine and travel back a century. Back then, our schedules were very similar to the European ones. We ate lunch between twelve and one o'clock and dinner between seven and eight o'clock in the evening. And what changed after that? In our country, we entered a few decades of economic difficulties, sacrifices and hardships, which resulted in moonlighting. Men worked one day in the morning and then had another job in the afternoon or worked overtime. The midday break had to be extended to allow for a certain amount of rest.
The wife worked as much or more than the husband at home, since there were no washing machines, dishwashers or other household appliances that are so common today, which meant that women had to make a real effort. Families tended to have between three and five children, and the roles were divided. With only one salary, it was not possible to live and so the man was lengthening the working day. Things did not change with the incorporation of women into the labor market. The consequence of all this is that our habits are very different from those of the rest of the continent.
For the Association for the Rationalization of Spanish SchedulesThere can be many schedules depending on the economic activity. His recommendation is to leave home with a good breakfast and start the day between 7:30 and 9:00, with flexibility of entry and exit, and finish it between 16:30 and 18:00 hours. We would work between 7 and 8 hours, including a 45-minute lunch break.
With such schedules and to name just a few advantages, people would have more time for their hobbies and chores, to be with their partners and family, they would sleep more hours and feel happier. In the business world, this would translate into greater motivation, higher productivity, lower absenteeism and fewer accidents at work. Students would also perform better, since they would have enjoyed more hours of sleep.
The rationalization of schedules would imply a great change in the whole society and at all levels. We would have to adapt to new timetables for public administrations and businesses. Television schedules would also have to change, since nowadays prime time programs end around midnight. And you, what do you think, do you think the change proposed by ARHOE is feasible, and are you happy with your current schedules?
