The Daily Stat: Don't Believe People Who Say They Work 60 Hours a Week

Are you having trouble viewing this email? If so, click here to see it in a web browser. HOME   |   BLOGS   |   THE MAGAZINE   |   BOOKS   |   AUTHORS   |   STORE RSS   |   Mobile OCTOBER 17, 2012 Don't Believe People Who Say They Work 60 Hours a Week People overstate the number of weekly hours they "usually" work by 5% to 10%, with those on the higher end being more likely to overestimate, according to a study led by John P. Robinson of the University of Maryland. By examining U.S. workers' time diaries, the researchers found that people who say they usually work 55 to 64 hours per week are off by an average of about 10 hours; people who say they work 65 to 74 hours are overstating by about 20 hours. Respondents may inflate their estimates because of a desire to appear industrious, the researchers suggest. Source: The overestimated workweek revisited Share Today's Stat: FEATURED PRODUCT Producing Prosperity: Why America Needs a Manufacturing Renaissance Ebook Now Available For executives, policymakers, academics, and innovators alike, Producing Prosperity provides the clearest and most compelling account yet of how the American economy lost its competitive edge—and how to get it back. Pisano and Shih provide business leaders with a framework for understanding the links between manufacturing and innovation that will enable them to make better outsourcing decisions. ADVERTISEMENT Follow the Stat: BEST SELLERS HBR's 10 Must Reads: The Essentials HBR's Must Reads Library Set Guide to Persuasive Presentations Guide to Better Business Writing Guide to Getting the Right Work Done PREVIOUS STATS When You Call in Sick, Beware the Suspicious Boss Getting a Bonus Increases Your Chance of Dying That Week It Helps to Boo the Opposing Pitcher Despite Myth, Many Retail Items Are No Cheaper on Black Friday College Admissions Officers Do Look at Facebook The Unemployed Exercise More But Get Less Exercise Men with Shaved Heads Are Perceived as Bigger and Stronger Climate Change Will Make Fish Littler To Boost Workers' Productivity, Tell Them How They Rank Among Blacks, Parental Layoffs Are More Likely to Keep Kids Out of College Introducing Mobile ManageMentor Powered by the proven content of Harvard ManageMentor™ iTunes >> Android >> UNSUBSCRIBE   |   UPDATE YOUR PROFILE   |   MORE EMAIL NEWSLETTERS   |   PRIVACY POLICY Was this email forwarded to you? If so, sign up to start receiving your own copy. ABOUT THIS MAILING LIST You have received this message because you subscribed to the "The Daily Stat" email newsletter from Harvard Business Review. If at any point you wish to remove yourself from this list, change your email address, or sign up for other email newsletters and alerts, please visit the Harvard Business Review Email Newsletter Preference Center. OPT OUT If you do not wish to receive any email messages from Harvard Business Review, click here. ADVERTISE WITH HBR This enewsletter is read by thousands of decision makers every day. Learn more about connecting your brand with this audience. Copyright © 2012 Harvard Business School Publishing, an affiliate of Harvard Business School. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing | 60 Harvard Way | Boston, MA 02163 Customer Service: 800-545-7685 (+1-617-783-7600 outside the U.S. and Canada)