Working four days per week instead of five can be better for both employees and companies. That's according to the first large-scale study into the effectiveness of cutting back the typical work schedule.
Long hours, at-home responsibilities and a pandemic that's about to enter its fourth year are just some reasons why workers everywhere say stress is at an all-time high.
According to the American Psychological Association 60% of employees said, in 2021, work-related stress led to a lack of interest, motivation, or energy.
Researchers with Boston College, University College Dublin and Cambridge University say a shorter work week is an obvious response to stressed-out workers. Members of each faculty performed a pilot program through nonprofit 4 Day Week Global.
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"In our post-pandemic world, everyone is still really tired and struggling to make sense of what their job is and how its changed over the course of the last three years," said Dr. Laura Bucci, assistant professor of political science at Saint Joseph's University.
Bucci said companies aren't going to change anything without a push from workers.
"Why should companies want to do this? There are a lot of reasons why they should do this, but ultimately it's not going to happen unless there is kind of a concentrated effort on the part of employees," she said.
For the pilot, 33 companies in the U.S. and other countries reduced their employees' schedules to four days per week while maintaining the same salary. According to Boston College researchers, companies saw a boost in productivity and revenue, while employees reported less stress and burnout.
None of the surveyed participants will return to the typical five-day schedule, and most of the companies said they wouldn't either. The study also found that more hours worked means more vehicle emissions.
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