New study sparks conversation about four-day work week
The discussion about the introduction of a four-day work week has been one that has raged on for decades now. After the five-day 40-hour work week was popularised by Henry Ford, under pressure from the American Federation of Labour trade union, in 1926, companies all around the world would go on to follow suit.
A Boots factory in Nottingham would be the first British workplace to introduce a two-day weekend in the 1930s. Yet studies found that this reduction in work hours in fact increased productivity and reduced worker absenteeism. So, this begs the question, why can this not be reduced further to a four-day work week?
A recent study organised by the non-profit organisation 4 Day Week Global and carried out by researchers from Boston College, University College Dublin and Cambridge University has produced fascinating results on the matter.
31 companies from the UK & Ireland were recruited for the initiative and over the course of six months researchers were able to study the effects of a 32-hour four-day work week on the employees, employers and the company as a whole. After the six-month trial period was over the companies a series of questions about the trial.
When asked to rate how their companies’ overall performance and overall productivity was affected by the trial from a scale of 1-10, the average response was 7.6 and 7.7 respectively. Employees of the companies were also asked to rate their satisfaction with the trial on a scale of 1-10; the average response was 9.1 and 96% said that they wished to continue with a four-day week.
The study found data from the different company’s revenue over the six-month period that seems to backs up the claim that a four-day work week will also increase productivity for the business as a whole. Over the course of the trial period, overall revenue (weighted by the size of the company) increased by an average 8.6%. In fact, when compared with the six months prior to the trial companies saw an average increase in revenue of 37.55%.
The companies saw an increase of 12.16% in new employees over the course of the trial period, during a time now referred to as the Great Resignation, a time when companies were seeing record breaking rates of resignations among employees. The data shows a slight reduction in the average number of days employees missed per month, from 0.56 to 0.39.
Yet, the performance of the business as a whole is not the only factor to consider when judging the viability of a four-day work week. It is very important to take a look at how the health and wellbeing of the employees was affected over the course of the trial period.
When asked whether they felt like they were more or less burned out during the trial period than they were before, 67% answered that they felt less burned out. Employees were asked to rank their physical health on a scale of 1-5 (1 being poor and 5 excellent) before and after the trial period. The average score saw an increase from 3.17 to 3.35, which in fact suggests that a four-day work week could reduce both health care costs and the strain on the NHS.
Employees reported an 8% decrease in sleep related issues and a 9.25% decrease in those reporting high fatigue levels. The study also found that during the trial period workers saw an increase of 23.7 minutes of exercise a week.
In fact, during the trial period employees were able to use their newfound spare time to pursue a variety of activities. Workers allocated 4.9 hours a day of their extra time to leisure activities, 3.5 hours to housework and care work and 2.6 hours to personal maintenance. When asked to rate to their work/life balance from 1-5, the average score given increased from 2.98 to 3.76. One employee said: “The trial has been fantastic, allowing me to take the extra day or time when I can. Due to the nature of this role, it isn't always possible, however even having the chance or possibility to do so has made a big difference in my lifestyle.”
Many advocates for the four-day work week have suggested this increase in free time could contribute to a major decrease in gender inequality by allowing working men to spend more time on childcare and therefore allowing mothers to spend less time operating in a domestic and childcare role.
The four-day work week movement doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, in fact it is growing. As of last week, 100 companies signed up to initiative on a permanent basis. These companies employ 2600 workers and mostly work within the services sector. This is only a tiny fraction of the UK workforce yet 4 Day Week Global hope that this report will be the pebble that starts the landslide and that soon a four day work week will be the new normal for all UK workers.