The five-day, 9-5 work week has been standard in the US for a long time. While workers desire a shorter work week to spend time with loved ones and just plain live life, we’ve only just begun testing them out. There’s great news for the future of this notion, however, because most firms that have begun a four-day work week say they’re never going back. If the idea of spending less hours in the office and more time at home sounds like bliss, you’re in for a treat (and hopefully a big shift in our future workforce.)
In what’s known as the largest four-day work week trial, dozens of companies participated to see just what a shorter work week can do for employees and employers alike. The majority of people involved in the study reported that they loved it so much that they’ve decided to keep it! 15% of the employees included in it even said they can’t be convinced to go back to a standard five-day work week.
There were close to 3,000 employees that took part in the study, which was organized by 4 Day Week Global and researchers like Boston College and the University of Cambridge. This study could be pivotal in helping other companies gear up for testing shorter work weeks, that is, if they’re open to it. We’ve seen the opinions of particularly older CEOs that aren’t necessarily on board with newer work ideas, like going fully remote. The thing is, a four-day work week is beneficial for them, too.
At the end of the study, not only was it reported that employees had better sleep, but company revenue also stayed “broadly the same.” It even rose by about 35% (after the six-month study) in comparison to similar periods during previous years. Resignations also decreased. Who would’ve guessed?
Of the 61 companies tested, 56 said they not only liked the four-day work week, but would use it going forward. Only three companies didn’t plan to continue with the plan in the future.
