|
Ever since the 5-day work week was established by Franklin Roosevelt in 1938, people have been pretty into the idea of a non-5-day work week (do people not like work?!).
A new, large-scale experiment suggests a 4-day grind is just plain better.
Researchers at Boston College investigated the effects of a shortened work week on 2,900 workers across 61 companies in the UK who agreed to trial the concept. And results showed a clear trend - 71% of workers said they were less burned out, 39% said they were less stressed, and 48% said they were more satisfied with their job.
Sleep and mental health were also positively impacted, and employees were far less likely to quit their jobs.
None of that is all that surprising, of course. But here's the kicker...
None of the 61 employers reported noticing any changes in revenue during the six-month, and some achieved growth they attributed to the new regimen! 92% said they'd continue to have employees work four days.
A truncated work week is not a new concept. Microsoft Japan, for instance, trialed a 4-day week in 2019 and saw productivity spike 40%. The shear scale of this trial, though, adds weight to the "pro" side of the argument.
As someone who personally subscribes to a 7-day work week (entrepreneurship is fun, I swear!), this data has forced me to reconsider my "grind level."
|
