Science Confirms What We All Suspected: Four-Day Weeks Rule

A six-month international study found that a four-day workweek with no reduction in pay significantly improved employee well-being, job satisfaction, and sleep quality, with burnout dropping most among those who reduced their hours by eight or more. “The results indicate that income-preserving four-day workweeks are an effective organizational intervention for enhancing workers’ well-being,” the researchers said. The study, reported in Nature Human Behaviour, was designed to test the effects of the four-day workweek with no reduction in pay. It relied on a six-month trial involving 2,896 employees in 141 organizations in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, and the US. The researchers compared work and health-related indicators — including burnout, job satisfaction, and mental and physical health — before and after the intervention using survey data. A further 285 employees at 12 companies did not participate in the trial and acted as a control.

The researchers noted that the study was limited in that companies volunteered to participate, and the sample consisted of smaller companies from English-speaking countries. More extensive government-sponsored trials might help provide a clearer picture, they said. While several factors may explain the effect, one possibility is “increased intrinsic motivation at work,” the study said. “Unfortunately, [we] cannot assess [this] due to data limitations.” “Despite its limitations, this study has important implications for understanding the future of work, with 4-day workweeks probably being a key component. Scientific advances from this work will inform the development of interventions promoting better organization of paid work and worker well-being. This task has become increasingly important with the rapid expansion of new digital, automation, and artificial general intelligence technologies.”

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