But his night-owl work habits required that his staff keep similarly long hours. Women make up almost half of the senior staff in the Bush administration. But the proposition that less time on the job is better for the bottom line still faces widespread skepticism. That may be increasingly true in an economic downturn, when less of a premium is placed on retaining and attracting workers. Putting shorter or flexible hours into effect is always complicated by the varying interests of employees.
Some people just enjoy or are accustomed to working long hours.
Ms. Wohl said the change would require adjustments in deeply held attitudes about work a point underscored by some reactions to Mr. Bush's schedule. Working around the clock is so endemic in our society that people who want to take a nap or take the weekend off are the object of amusement. Ms. Wohl said Mr. Bush could have a positive impact if he spoke out about why limiting hours could lead to better employee performance, higher retention rates and lower health care costs. That, Professor Capelli suggested, may even lead to more bottom-up change.