Research from Robert Half, an employment agency, shows that a large majority of US managers (93%) support a four-day workweek for their team. The data shows that 64% expect their company to transition to one within the next five years.
A pilot program testing a four-day workweek in the UK was hailed as a “resounding success” after employees reported improved well-being and a majority of participating companies said they would keep the change.
A total of 61 UK companies employing around 2,900 workers took part in the trial, with employees working an average of 34 hours over four days between June and December 2022 while keeping their existing wages.
At the end of the six-month trial, 56 of these companies, or 92%, chose to stick with a four-day work week, and 18 did so permanently.
The results of this pilot program were published by Autonomy, a UK-based think tank that worked with UK academics to conduct the study, supported by 4 Day Week Global, a New Zealand campaign promoting a four-day work week.
ARE THE US READY FOR A FOUR DAY WORK WEEK?
Young black businesswoman working alone in an office on a laptop (iStock / iStock)
The participating companies from a wide range of industries and sizes were allowed to design a four-day week tailored to their needs, with the only condition being that there were no wage cuts and that employees received a “reasonable” reduction in working hours.
A shorter work week has been found to improve employee well-being. Before and after data showed that 39% of employees reported feeling less stressed, while 71% experienced less burnout at the end of the study. Employees surveyed also said they felt less anxious, less tired, and slept better.
Employees also said their work-life balance has improved, but the benefits weren’t limited to employees.
Administrative data from participating companies showed that sales increased by an average of 1.4% during the test period, weighted by company size. In fact, compared to a similar period in previous years, organizations with a shorter workweek reported increases in revenue averaging 35% — which the study authors say indicates healthy growth while reducing work.
THE FOUR-DAY WORKWEEK TREND IS GETTING POPULAR AS COMPANIES REPORT STRONG PRODUCTIVITY
Research from Robert Half, an employment agency, shows that a large majority of US managers (93%) support a four-day workweek for their team. The data shows that 64% expect their company to transition to one within the next five years. (Robert Half/Fox News)
The data also showed that employees were much less likely to leave companies that participated in the testing program, with staff attrition falling by 57% over the six-month testing period.
“The results are largely consistent across workplaces of different sizes, showing that this is an innovation that works for many types of organizations,” said Boston College Professor Juliet Schor, the lead researcher.
Some employees liked the change so much that they said getting the extra day off each week was more important than a pay rise. Fifteen percent of employees said no amount of money would persuade them to return to a five-day schedule.
US JOB GROWTH RISE UNEXPECTEDLY IN JANUARY AS THE ECONOMY ADDED 517,000 JOBS
Employees at companies that have implemented a four-day workweek say their mental health and well-being have improved. (iStock / iStock)
Charlotte Lockhart, co-founder and chief executive officer of 4 Day Week Global, said the results are encouraging and that results from similar pilot programs around the world are forthcoming.
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“Our team is excited to expand the case for a 4-day workweek today with this new world-class academic research, and we look forward to adding our Australasian pilot results to this dataset in the coming weeks, and our European, South African results , Brazil and North America in the coming months,” she said.