Working four days instead of five for the same pay is the dream of many employees. For employees of 61 UK-based organisations, this became a reality within six months. From June to December 2022, they made themselves available as guinea pigs for a pilot study conducted by the University of Cambridge. With about the same productivity, they felt less stress and got sick less often.
71 percent of subjects who spent just four rather than five days at the office during the six-month trial period reported fewer burnout experiences. 39 percent said they felt less stressed overall. Companies, in turn, accounted for a sensational 65% fewer sick days compared to the same period last year and a 57% lower variation. Even management classified the price as affordable. Participating companies stated that subjects generated 1.4% less income during the study period, but 92% of them said they wanted to offer the four-day week.
Balance between professional and personal life
2,900 employees participated in the largest four-day week study to date. Sectors ranged from online commerce and financial services to animation films, take-away, consulting and real estate to information technology, staffing, tourism, marketing, cosmetics and healthcare. The authors are social researchers from the University of Cambridge and Boston College, as well as from the US think tank Autonomy.
The background is the pilot programs of “4 Day Week” and “4 Day Week Global”. The non-profit platform examines the new way of working in relation to coexistence, health, productivity, family formation and employment. In this specific case, both employees and employers had to assess the effects of additional time off themselves and provide information in interviews. They reported less anxiety and fatigue and a greater sense of mental and physical fitness. 60 percent said they could more easily combine paid employment with caring for children and relatives, 62 percent said their social life improved.
“Overall, productivity increased, especially as employees did their jobs more efficiently,” says study leader Brendan Burchell: “Long meetings were shortened, less time was wasted, and methods to increase efficiency were pursued.” According to the authors, the home office of the Corona years would have shown that not only work, but also family life counts.