Model Answer 1:

The advancements in technology and automation have revolutionised industries across the globe, resulting in a significant reduction in the need for manual labour. In light of this, I strongly agree that working hours in offices and factories should be reduced. This essay will outline the reasons supporting this viewpoint. 

One compelling reason to reduce working hours is to enhance work-life balance and promote the well-being of employees. Longer working hours can lead to physical and mental exhaustion, negatively impacting the overall quality of life. By reducing working hours, individuals would have more time to engage in activities outside of work, such as spending time with family, pursuing hobbies, and engaging in self-care practices. For example, in Sweden, several companies have implemented shorter working hours with positive outcomes. The experiment conducted by the Toyota service centre in Gothenburg demonstrated that a six-hour workday not only led to improved employee well-being but also resulted in increased productivity and customer satisfaction. 

Another reason to support the reduction of working hours is the potential for increased productivity and efficiency in the workplace. While it may seem counterintuitive to suggest that shorter working hours can lead to higher output, research and examples have shown otherwise. For instance, in 2019, Microsoft Japan conducted an experiment known as the "Work-Life Choice Challenge," where they implemented a four-day workweek. The results were remarkable, with productivity increasing by 40%. 

In conclusion, the advancements in technology and automation have significantly reduced the demand for manual labour. As a result, it is crucial to adapt the working hours in offices and factories to align with the changing landscape. Reducing working hours not only promotes a healthier work-life balance but also enhances employee well-being, job satisfaction, and productivity.

Sample Answer 2:

A group of people assert that offices should decrease the working hours for employees since automation and technological advancement enable employees to do more work in less time. I agree with this view and will support it in the following paragraphs.

To begin with, technological advancements and computerisation in an office greatly enhance the productivity of employees. As a result, the staff can produce more output and can perform more efficiently without working for long hours. For example, in the pre-computer era, a bank cashier had to work manually, check different ledger books, verify a person’s identity and then pay a customer. Moreover, at the end of the day, the cashier had to calculate all the transactions before he could leave the office alone with other cashiers. However, this is no longer the case with automation in the banking industry. A cashier can now serve a few customers in 15 minutes and at the end of the day, the banking software does the calculation. Hence, reducing the working hours seems quite logical to me.

Furthermore, motivating employees and retaining key employees are two challenges every organisation faces in this competitive age. Reducing the working hours could be an effective solution in achieving better success in the long run. Since most employees, these days, perform more tasks due to technological help, they should be given more time to spend with their families to establish a healthy work-life balance.

Finally, organisations that need to remain open 24/7, like hospitals, fire services, hotels and so on should implement a rostering system and take advantage of modern technology as much as possible to reduce the manual work done by people. This way they can ask their employee to work fewer hours per day and enhance their overall productivity along with establishing a healthy and productive work environment.

To conclude, considering everything, I firmly believe that the working hours of office employees should be reduced as it would both motivate staff and help organisations retain their better-performing employees and generate more output.