Researchers from Boston College, University College Dublin, and Cambridge University tracked employers in a small pilot research study and discovered that more than two dozen companies that implemented a four-day week in a pilot project saw increased sales, lower burnout, and improved absenteeism.
More than 30 companies and nearly 1,000 employees from the United States, Ireland, and Australia participated in the six-month pilot program, which was coordinated by the non-profit 4 Day Week Global.
None of the 27 companies that responded to a 4 Day Week Global survey said they were leaning toward or planning to return to their former five-day routine. Approximately 97 per cent of the 495 employees who responded said they wanted to keep working four days a week.
Companies in the study reported an increase in revenue of 8 per cent over the study period, a decrease in burnout for two-thirds of employees, and a decrease in sick or personal leave time of about a couple of hours per month.
Each month, revenue increased by more than a percentage point, for a total increase of 8 per cent during the trial. It increased by 38 per cent when compared to the same six months in 2021. Workers reported lower levels of stress, fatigue, insomnia, and burnout, as well as improvements in physical and mental health, following the trial.
Employees liked the pilot as well, with 97 per cent saying they want to keep working four days a week. And 70 per cent said their next job would have to pay between 10 per cent and 50 per cent more for them to return to a five-day schedule.
The sources for this piece include an article in TechSpot.