“Without loss of labor productivity. Four-day work week improves employee well-being — study October 21, 1:30 p.m. Share: The introduction of a four-day work week improved employee life satisfaction. (Photo: pixabay) Author: Kira Borysikhina A large study has shown that a four-day work week increases the well-being of employees without loss in productivity. Read also: Dreaming of vacation? American office workers are less productive in the afternoon and on Fridays”, — write on: ua.news
The introduction of a four-day work week improved the life satisfaction of employees. (Photo: pixabay)
A large study found that a four-day work week increases employee well-being without a loss in productivity.
A German study conducted by the University of Münster, led by Professor Julia Buckmann and Dr. Felix Hoch, confirmed that reducing working hours improves employee well-being, while productivity remains the same or even increases. 45 organizations from various sectors of the German economy took part in the pilot project.
The introduction of a four-day work week improved the life satisfaction of employees. As the researchers note, this is primarily due to an increase in free time. Before the start of the experiment, 64% of employees expressed a desire to spend more time with their families, after the implementation of the four-day week, this figure dropped to 50%. Employees noted a significant improvement in mental and physical health, including a reduction in stress levels and burnout symptoms. Physiological data, such as the number of steps taken, the level of physical activity and the duration of sleep, confirmed the positive effects of the shortened schedule.
The productivity of companies was not affected by the reduction of working hours. More than 60% of employees cited streamlining work processes, reducing distractions, and reducing meetings as the biggest contributors to productivity. Organizations have also implemented new digital tools to improve efficiency.
Despite the gains in improving well-being, the researchers did not find a significant reduction in the carbon footprint, although it was expected that the reduction in working days could lead to a reduction in domestic travel and resource consumption.
The results of the study show that the four-day work week has the potential to become a long-term practice. More than 70% of organizations declared their intention to continue the experiment or implement the new system on a permanent basis. Both small companies with less than 10 employees and large organizations with more than 250 employees participated in the project.
The project has attracted interest in other countries as well, where such initiatives can be adopted to improve the balance between work and life, as well as increase the competitiveness of employers.