Research shows that employees who work fewer hours experience less stress and are less likely to burn out. During a trial period, 39% of employees reported feeling less stressed, and 71% reported fewer burnout symptoms. Issues such as anxiety, fatigue, and sleep problems also decreased, while their mental and physical health improved. This indicates that shorter workweeks can be beneficial for employee well-being.
In terms of productivity, the results of shorter workweeks show that productivity does not always decline. In some cases, company revenues remained stable or even increased slightly, with an average increase of 1.4% during the trial period. Compared to previous years, companies saw an average revenue increase of 35%, indicating healthy growth despite the shorter workweek. Although employees work fewer hours in a four-day workweek, the better work-life balance and improved well-being can lead to a productivity increase of about 10%.
While the results are promising, there is still some criticism regarding the long-term impact on productivity. The trial periods were relatively short, and it is possible that the positive effects are partly due to work done before the trial. Nevertheless, the findings suggest that a four-day workweek could be a viable option for companies looking to improve employee well-being without significant negative impacts on productivity.
Related:
- The optimal amount of free time seems to be between 2 and 4 hours per day
- Our go-to approach for problem-solving is to incorporate something new, rather than eliminate something existing
- Professionals spend about 60% of their time on work about work
- Large organizations extinguish employees' passion
- The expectation that you check email outside of working hours can lead to health problems, relationship issues, and anxiety
- Hard work
