As long as you are compensated like a five-day job
A six-month experiment with thousands of people showed that employees perform better and experience less fatigue when working a four-day workweek.
A study headed by Boston College associate professor of sociology Wen Fan and economics professor Juliet Schor revealed that modifications in work habits contributed to increased job satisfaction and reduced sleep issues.
The research, published in Nature Human Behaviour, aimed to examine the impact of a four-day workweek without any decrease in salary. It involved a six-month experiment with 2,896 employees across 141 companies in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, and the United States. The scientists analyzed work and health-related factors—such as burnout, job satisfaction, and mental and physical well-being—before and after the change by using survey results. An additional 285 employees from 12 firms did not take part in the trial and served as a control group.
The study revealed that transitioning to a four-day workweek resulted in an average decrease in working hours of approximately five hours each week. Nevertheless, individuals who cut their workweek by eight hours or more experienced more significant advantages, according to the researchers, who linked these improvements to reduced sleep issues and lower levels of exhaustion.
“The findings suggest that four-day workweeks that maintain income are a successful approach for improving employees’ well-being,” the researchers stated.
The researchers pointed out that the study had limitations, as participation was voluntary among companies, and the sample included smaller businesses from English-speaking nations. They suggested that more comprehensive government-funded studies could offer a better understanding.
Although multiple factors could account for the effect, one potential explanation is “higher internal motivation in the workplace,” according to the research. “Regrettably, [we] are unable to evaluate [this] because of data constraints.”
Nevertheless, the researchers discovered that the study indicated that reducing work hours is linked to better employee well-being, a trend not seen in the control companies. “For all outcomes, the effect is more significant for the two work-related factors – burnout and job satisfaction – followed by mental health, while the least changes were noted in physical health. This pattern is anticipated, as improvements in physical health may require more time to appear,” the authors mentioned.
“Although it has its constraints, this research holds significant consequences for grasping the future of employment, with a 4-day workweek likely playing a central role. Discoveries from this study will guide the creation of strategies that enhance the structure of paid work and employee welfare. This issue has grown more critical due to the swift growth of new digital, automation, and artificial general intelligence technologies.” ®
