Get more work done is less time! That seems to be the verdict of majority of companies which participated in the world's largest trial of a '4-day work week'.
Most of the 61 companies that participated from June to December say that productivity did not take a hit and that they would continue with a 4-day work week. Companies also said that employees were less stressed and had better work-life balance.
What was the study?
In June 2022, a think tank based in the UK started a pilot program to test out four-day work weeks in the corporate sector. The study, was conducted by a UK advocacy group called 4-Day Week Global.
What did this study involve?
The study involved 2,900 workers from 61 companies across industries in the UK. The program was carried out between June to December 2022.
Employees at the participating companies across Britain worked an average of 34 hours across four days between June and December 2022 while earning their current salary.
What did the study show?
Of the participating 61, 56 companies, or 92 percent, opted to continue with the 4-day work week.
The report published also said that employee stress and burnout significantly declined, with 71 percent of employees reporting lower levels of burnout, 39% reported they were less stressed and 48% were more satisfied with their job as compared to before the trial. Reported anxiety, fatigue and sleep issues decreased, while mental and physical health both experienced improvements.