Four Days Is Enough

• 4 Day Week Global, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the concept of a shortened workweek, recently conducted a study that evaluated the success of 61 U.K. companies and their 2,900 employees in implementing a four-day workweek. 
• An overwhelming majority of businesses (92%) that took part in the study said they intend to keep their four-day workweek. 
• This study has uncovered huge advantages for employees’ wellbeing and efficiency when their work hours are cut back.  

In the last five years, the four-day week has had an incredible journey from obscurity to prominence, and has become one of the most desirable workplace policies to be implemented by companies around the world. 

The idea of making the workweek shorter for the same pay has become very popular with workers, but employers have needed some convincing of the success of the shortened workweek.  

A new study proves the benefits of the shortened work week  

4 Day Week Global, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the concept of a shortened workweek, recently conducted a study that evaluated the success of 61 U.K. companies and their 2,900 employees in implementing a four-day workweek from June to December 2022.  

On the whole, companies and their staff rated the experiment 8.3 out of 10, and reported an average revenue growth of 1.4%. 

Survey results showed that 46% of employees reported physical and mental health benefits due to feeling less fatigued, and three in five respondents found it simpler to balance work with caring responsibilities at home. 

“Frustrated by poor work-life balance, and more accustomed to the flexible working patterns brought about by the pandemic, for many the four-day week has become a more popular and enticing prospect,” according to 4 Day Week Global. 

A 4-day work week has numerous positive effects  

60% of employees said that the reduced work week makes juggling job and parental duties simpler for them, whereas 62% stated that it was more convenient for them to have a social life. 

Aside from having more free time and time to get things done, the shortened work week has shown some interesting societal changes.  

The time male workers devoted to childcare skyrocketed by 27%, according to the time diaries they kept during the trial. Comparably, the female participants reported an increase of 13%. 

This study has uncovered huge advantages for employees’ wellbeing and efficiency when their work hours are cut back, and the vast majority of organizations intend to remain with the reduced timetable. 

“For many, the positive effects of a four-day week were worth more than their weight in money. 15% of employees said that no amount of money would induce them to accept a five-day schedule over the four-day week to which they were now accustomed,” according to the study.  

An overwhelming majority of businesses (92%) said they intend to keep their four-day workweek. On top of that, more than half of the workers reported that it had positively impacted their ability to do their job, while 71% noted that it had decreased burnout. 40% stated that it had reduced their stress and improved their mental health, with 54% experiencing fewer negative emotions. 

“I think the real question is: Why five days? I haven’t heard anybody give me a reason why we work five days other than tradition,” Simon Ursell, Tyler Grange’s managing director told NPR.