A team of sociologists at the University of Cambridge, together with the British non-profit human rights group 4 Day Week Global, assessed the effectiveness of the four-week working week. The results of the study are published on the website 4 Day Week Global.
Within six months, several companies switched to a new format of the working week without reducing the salaries of employees. In total, about 3 thousand employees switched to the new format. At the beginning, middle, and end of the study, participants were surveyed about their performance at work, the stress they experienced, their feelings of burnout, and their overall well-being.
Employees rated that levels of anxiety and fatigue decreased, while mental and physical health improved. So, 71% of employees reported a lower level of “burnout”, and 39% said that they experience less stress compared to the beginning of the study. The number of sick days decreased by 65%, while the number of employees who resigned voluntarily decreased by 57%. The company’s revenue was virtually unchanged during the probationary period.
Many respondents also said it had become easier for them to reconcile work with family and social obligations.
