If you’re trying to convince your boss to adopt a four-day workweek, a new study might help you make your case.
4 Day Week Global — a nonprofit organization based in New Zealand — published data from 33 participating companies employing more than 2,000 people across the U.S., Australia, Ireland, the U.K., New Zealand, and Canada. These companies adopted a four-day workweek for a six-month pilot program. The organization collaborated with researchers from Boston College, the University of Dublin, and Cambridge University to conduct the study.
In total, around 2,900 employees from various industries — including retail, finance and banking, business consulting, IT, marketing, healthcare services, animation studios, and small fast-food shops — worked four days a week for six months. Throughout the period, researchers assessed the effects of having an extra day off, conducting interviews with both employees and company CEOs before, during, and after the trial.
The study found that the shorter workweek was a “resounding success.”
Juliet Schor, a sociology professor at Boston College and lead researcher of the trial, said employees did not report an increase in work intensity. “This suggests that the strategy of reorganizing work was successful and that performance gains were not achieved through intensifying workloads — something that is neither sustainable nor desirable.” In other words, productivity improved without employees having to work harder.
Jon Leland, Chief Strategy Officer at Kickstarter — a crowdfunding platform that took part in the trial — described the program as “a true win-win.”
“The four-day week has been transformative for our business and our people. Staff are more focused, more engaged, and more dedicated, helping us achieve our goals better than before,” he said in a statement.
Employees who participated in a similar trial in the U.K. told CNN Business that the extra day off changed their lives for the better, giving them more time to take care of personal tasks, pursue hobbies, or simply rest and recharge.
Findings from the report
“Companies are extremely satisfied with their performance, productivity, and overall experience, with nearly all having already committed to or planning to continue with the four-day workweek. Revenues increased during the trial. Sick days and absences decreased. Companies are hiring new staff, while resignations dropped slightly. Employees are equally enthusiastic.”
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