Four-Day Work Weeks Are Good for Employees' Health
TimeDec 23, 2022
The Facts
Following a trial of a four-day working week from June through December 2022, 56 of 61 companies in the UK have decided to continue with the practice. Eighteen of those have agreed to implement a four-day work week permanently.
The trial — a collaboration project between the University of Cambridge, Boston College, and the 4 Day Week Global nonprofit community — has been billed as the largest of its kind. The study was also supported by Autonomy, a research group that focuses on the future of work.
The Spin
Narrative A
This is positive news for workers facing unmanageable stress and burnout, as well as for employers who are increasingly dealing with “quiet quitting.” In addition to workers being as, if not more productive, and feeling healthier in their everyday lives, the projected pitfall that employees would feel rushed to fit their work into a shorter week didn't materialize in the trial. These results reflect a significant step toward the four-day week taking prominence around the world.
Narrative B
Don’t celebrate this scheme just yet. There are still plenty of problems with shortening the work week, including the fundamental issue that five days’ worth of productivity must somehow be squeezed into four days for the same pay. Additionally, it should be noted that fewer than half of the companies submitted financial data following the trial, perhaps because a fuller picture may have revealed a negative result in terms of revenue and productivity. We’re a long way from a shorter working week becoming the international norm.