A six-month trial in the U.S. and Ireland shows that a four-day work week is indeed good for business. Via CNN:
After six months, most of the 33 companies and 903 workers trialing the schedule, with no reduction in pay, are unlikely ever to go back to a standard working week, according to the organizers of the global pilot program.
None of the 27 participating companies who responded to a survey by 4 Day Week Global said they were leaning towards or planning on returning to their former five-day routine. About 97% of the 495 employees who responded said they wanted to continue with a four-day week.
The majority of companies taking part in the trial were based in the United States and Ireland. Those responding to the survey rated their overall experience 9 out of 10, based on productivity and performance.
Workers reported lower levels of stress, fatigue, insomnia and burnout, and improvements in physical and mental health. Imagine that!
The trial was also good for company earnings. Average revenue rose 38% when compared to the same period last year, according to the survey.
4 Day Week Global, a nonprofit organization, collaborated with researchers at Boston College, University College Dublin and Cambridge University for the trial. It was split into two cohorts, beginning in February and April this year.
Juliet Schor, professor of sociology at Boston College and the trial’s lead researcher, said that employees did not report an increase in the intensity of their work.
“This suggests that the work reorganization strategy succeeded and performance was not achieved via [speeding up], which is neither sustainable nor desirable,” she said.
