Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Should Spain replace siesta with flexible
work?
Siesta is a short nap taken often after lunch.
The traditional daytime nap originated in Spain and became somewhat popular in other
Spanish-influenced countries like the Philippines and Hispanic American
countries. There are several factors made this midday break a tradition. First,
too hot to work. It is common to take an afternoon nap in places where daytime
temperatures go over 40 degrees Celsius. In such places, people work from very
early in the morning, take a midday break, and resume their work in the late
afternoon. Second, too much eating to work. Spain and other Mediterranean regions
tend to have a big lunch with their families and friends, often goes beyond two
hours. The longer you eat, the more you eat. They need time to digest it. Also, midday
break was taken in a difficult time in the early 20th century in Spain
where many people had to take two jobs to make ends meet. They needed some
break between their work shifts.
Though siesta is only practiced less than 20%
of Spain’s population, the custom makes the nation’s productivity uncompetitive
against other countries in Europe. If you had a two-hour lunch followed by a
two-hour siesta, you lose three hours compared to ordinary an-hour lunch break
and have to make up the lost three hours by working late at night. So, you
could get home around nine instead of six. Since no one has longer than 24
hours a day, such practice deteriorates not only productivity but also the wellbeing
of the workers as they have less time to spend with their families or for
themselves. Also, style and requirements for work are changing. As creativity
and outputs are more valued than working hours in today’s work environment
especially in the technology sector, spending time in the office too long and until
too late means nothing but a waste of time. So, what should they do?
Enjoy reading the article and learn about
siesta and today’s work environment.
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