A team of sociologists from the U.S. and Ireland has demonstrated that transitioning to a four-day workweek enhances the quality of life for employees and top management while also benefiting the environment.
This shift in the work schedule is incredibly advantageous for both mental and physical health. It also contributes to increased productivity, the researchers confirmed.
Before the study began, the scientists agreed that participants’ salaries would not be reduced despite the fewer working days, as this could lead to stress.
“We are witnessing global trends (not only in high-income countries but also in many low- and middle-income nations) where workers are struggling with burnout, long hours, and a lack of time for themselves and their families,” said Wen Fan, the lead author of the study, in an interview with BBC Science Focus.
According to her, thanks to this beneficial innovation, participants in the experiment maintained (and even increased) their productivity, experienced fewer sleep issues, and saw a significant reduction in fatigue levels.
She also believes that moving to a four-day workweek could help researchers rethink “how to properly reorganize the work system so that both employees and society benefit.”
How Was the Research Conducted?
The team of sociologists from research institutions in Boston and Dublin involved around 3,000 employees from 141 organizations in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States in a six-month experiment. Participants were divided into groups based on a reduction in weekly working hours by one to four, five to seven, or eight hours (up to four days a week).
Before and after the experiment, sociologists assessed employee well-being across four categories: burnout, job satisfaction, psychological health, and physical health (a key mortality factor).
The researchers then compared their findings from the observations (surveys) with the results from tests conducted on 285 employees from 12 companies that did not switch to a reduced workweek.
Employees from all three groups working under the reduced schedule showed significant improvements in overall health, a decrease in burnout levels, and greater job satisfaction.
Interestingly, 90 percent of the companies that participated in the experiment adopted the four-day workweek after the study concluded.
Simultaneously, the scientists examined the environmental impact of reducing the workweek to four days. Some employees voluntarily agreed to track their own carbon footprints.
The team believes that shortening the workweek could benefit the environment, for instance, by reducing pollution from commuting. Wen Fan emphasized, “Countries that have implemented shorter workweeks or shorter workdays tend to show the best environmental performance.” The results of the study were published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.
Currently, various research teams around the world are conducting trials to better assess the impact of reduced working hours on employee health and productivity. Scientists are exploring different scenarios, such as reducing working hours to six hours a day or by 20 percent, among others. One of the most notable studies in recent years has been the 4 Day Week Global (4DWG) project, which involved 375 companies. It also confirmed the advantages of reducing the number of hours dedicated to work.