An experiment of the four-day week with 61 companies highlights the positive effects of this reorganization on the health of employees.
Valentin Dechambre for ThePoint.fr
© MALCOLM PARK / Avalon / MAXPPP / PHOTOSHOT/MAXPPP
Published on
Subscriber-only audio playback
Ihe findings of a large-scale study of the four-day work week have been published. Result: productivity remained stable while employee satisfaction increased dramatically. This is according to the largest ever study of the four-day working week, in which 61 companies in the United Kingdom took part, of which 56 decided to pursue the changes, relays franceinfo.
The companies and organizations that took part in this six-month trial ranged from small local businesses to large corporations with approximately 2,900 employees. These employees saw their work week reduced by five to four days, with no associated loss of pay. The trial was conducted by the 4 Day Week association, the think tank Autonomy and researchers from the University of Cambridge and Boston College (United States).
71% less stress
The results showed that the majority of businesses saw sustained performance and productivity, with an average 1.4% increase in revenue. About 92% of them maintained the four-day week after the pilot project ended, and eighteen said the new policy was a permanent change.
READ ALSOTomorrow, everyone at the four-day week?
Employee stress and burnout decreased significantly, with 71% reporting lower levels of burnout. Levels of anxiety, fatigue and sleep disturbances decreased, while mental and physical health improved. However, some negative points should be noted: 17% of employees reported an increase in the number of overtime hours and 15% noted an increase in their hourly volume. Some even had difficulty sleeping and 10% said they were more tired.