by The idea of a four-day work week was introduced, but soon gained support. There are companies implementing it and, contrary to what the skeptics expected, it is “a real win for everyone”.
Without a pay cut, feedback shows benefits for workers and companies.
At the time of the idea of reducing the week to four days, some companies decided to try the initiative that won some and angered others. At the same time, and in order to understand whether its application could actually be beneficial, studies began to be developed.
In December last year, 4 Day Week Global published one such study, conducted by University College Dublin, Boston College and the University of Cambridge. The research analyzed the results of four-day-weekly tests carried out, essentially, in the United States of America and Ireland, and concluded that the companies' productivity and revenue had increased by 7% and 8%, respectively.
Jon Leland, Head of Strategy at Kickstarter
According to Jon Leland, Kickstarter's chief strategist, the four-day work week was a "real win-win." As he shared, the finance company increased hiring, improved employee retention and increased revenue. In addition to all this, it also ensured more time off from work.
Similarly, Barry Prost, CEO of Rent a Recruiter, an Irish recruitment company, admitted that revenue, employee retention and recruitment have increased, alongside an increase in employee wellbeing.
Barry Prost, CEO of Rent a Recruiter
Rod Lacey, director of human resources at simPRO, a software development company, recognized that the four-day work week motivated the organization to listen to employees and work for their well-being, positively affecting the company's bottom line.
The four-day week motivates employees and improves business performance
In Time magazine, a software engineer from Australian company Caliber Analytics, Colby Swandale, revealed that he uses the fifth day of the week, which would have been work, for self-care activities such as physical exercise.
Knowing you won't be in the office from Monday morning to Friday afternoon is different.
Another employee, Julieanne Cotter, said, adding that she felt a decrease in her stress level and a consequent increase in energy. In addition, he mentioned mental health and suggested that the four-day week could be a very positive change.
These two views confirm the conclusions of the study published by 4 Day Week Global. After all, there was a 34% improvement in physical health and a 38% improvement in mental health, as well as a 67% increase in positive emotions. At the same time, sleep problems decreased by 37%.
With less than a day to devote to work, the study found, workers spent an average of five hours on leisure, more than three hours on housework or family care, and more than two hours on self-care.
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