**Question:*****The length of the working week does not reflect modern lifestyle needs. It should be substantially reduced to give people more leisure time and time with their families. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?  
  
Give reasons for your answers and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience. Write at least 350 words.***  
*(As you can tell from the word requirement, this is not an IELTS task 2 essay, it's the kind of essay that allows you more scope to develop your ideas, and also requires more than just paraphrasing the question in the introduction.)*  
  
## physical and mental health should not be overlooked

  
  
Six days a week, eight hours a day - most workers in the modern world should consider the workplace as their second home. This has given rise to the idea that the number of working hours per week should be decreased to meet the needs of the modern life, and create room for relaxation and family activities. This essay completely approves this idea and will give its supporting reasons.  
  
Firstly, the long working week brings about undesirable effects upon family bonding. With estimatedly 48 hours per week, the employees spend the most efficient, energetic hours of their day at the workplace, not to mention extra shifts and home-working. When the working hours are finished and the employees return to their homes, they are more than likely to be left exhausted, be it physically or mentally. The implication of this is that family time would fall into the worn-out, tired part of the clock when most activities are hurried to get to the most efficient relaxation: sleep. In addition, workers of the modern world who suffer tremendous amounts of pressure would find it hard to switch off at home, hence their family time being clogged with thoughts of work in their heads. Spending quality time with families, therefore, would essentially become a demanding task.  
  
Secondly, the current large number of working hours implies that the workers would be hindered to enjoy entertainment activities throughout the week. Hobbies and pastimes, however seemingly unimportant, develop a spiritual life outside of work for the workers, and thus nurture their mental health and release the stress. With the modern developments giving rise to pressure at the workplace, the employees should be encouraged to enjoy leisure activities to eradicate the negative emotions resulted from work problems. And this cannot be accomplished with the employees being exhausted after long working hours.  
  
On the opposing side, some may argue that the current working hours should be maintained to guarantee sufficient productivity, and thus maintain the current wage. Nevertheless, the massive growth of technology would allow most jobs to become more and more time-efficient, which would significantly reduce the necessary working time. In addition, a thoroughly relaxed and refreshed worker would undebatably produce better outcome at work than a physically and mentally tired employee.  
  
In conclusion, the cruciality of relaxation and family time to the workers' physical and mental health should not be overlooked. Therefore, current working hours should be significantly reduced. This would be facilitated by the development of technology and would result in enhanced performance at work.  
  
*Please help be review this. Thank you!*