The problem lies in the "should" :) I do agree that the conflation of hours and productivity is a problem here. But it's a very common one and most people don'

The problem lies in the "should" :) I do agree that the conflation of hours and productivity is a problem here. But it's a very common one and most people don't have the freedom. What I wanted to point out that there is not just one variable in play here. And there are some very practical problems which are not easy to solve. (Try explaining this to your employer and convincing him that this rule would indeed work for every employee he has. There are also jobs where hours and productivity are closer related. There are jobs where hours put in may be the best metric you have to measure output?)