An international study showed that transitioning to a four-day work week without a salary reduction positively affects employee well-being. Nearly three thousand workers from six countries participated in the study. This was reported by Nature Human Behaviour.
Participants in the experiment worked 20 percent less for six months while maintaining their previous income. Companies optimized business processes, reduced low-efficiency tasks, and revised schedules. The average reduction in workload was five hours per week, with some employees experiencing even more. Observations showed a decrease in burnout levels, improved mental health, and increased job satisfaction compared to the control group, where the regime remained unchanged.
The authors attribute the improvements to better quality sleep, less fatigue, and an increase in subjective work capacity. Even a slight reduction in hours led to positive changes on average for the group, although the effect was strongest for those who significantly reduced their workload. Indicators of physical health improved to a lesser extent.
A year after the project began, the positive results persisted, indicating the sustainability of the effect rather than a temporary "spike" due to the novelty of the format. According to the authors' conclusions, a four-day week could become a systemic solution for reducing burnout and improving the quality of working life.
Leave a comment