4-day workweek study: greater happiness, no loss in productivity

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www.npr.org

Iceland Cut Its Work Week And Found Greater Happiness And No Loss In Productivity

The results of two trials in Iceland found that a 35- to 36-hour workweek resulted in similar or greater productivity and improved well-being among workers.
www.npr.org www.npr.org

As many people contemplate a future in which they don't need to commute to offices, the idea of working less altogether also has its appeal.

Now, research out of Iceland has found that working fewer hours for the same pay led to improved well-being among workers, with no loss in productivity. In fact, in some places, workers were more productive after cutting back their hours.

Granted, Iceland is tiny. Its entire workforce amounts to about 200,000 people. But 86% of Iceland's working population has moved to shorter hours or has the right to negotiate such a schedule, according to a report by the Association for Democracy and Sustainability and the think tank Autonomy. This follows two successful trials, involving 2,500 workers, that the report called "a major success."

The trials were conducted from 2015 to 2019. Workers went from a 40-hour weekly schedule to 35- or 36-hour weekly schedules without a reduction in pay. The trials were launched after agitation from labor unions and grassroots organizations that pointed to Iceland's low rankings among its Nordic neighbors when it comes to work-life balance.

Workers across a variety of public- and private-sector jobs participated in the trials. They included people working in day cares, assisted living facilities, hospitals, museums, police stations and Reykjavik government offices.


Participants reported back on how they reduced their hours. A common approach was to make meetings shorter and more focused. One workplace decided that meetings could be scheduled only before 3 p.m. Others replaced them altogether with email or other electronic correspondence.
 
I've been working 4 days (36 hours, paid for 40) for years and I love it.

It's made me a better programmer, project manager and boss. My employees love it cause they get a long weekend, every weekend. Attendance and productivity are better with this schedule.
 
Handicappers said:
I've been working 4 days (36 hours, paid for 40) for years and I love it.

It's made me a better programmer, project manager and boss. My employees love it cause they get a long weekend, every weekend. Attendance and productivity are better with this schedule.
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we used to be allowed to do 4 10 hour days, but when you work for a plant that operates 7 days a week, they don't care if you got your hours in, they are going to call you over the weekend looking for engineering support. It's shit.
 
Interesting read OP

I think there is a lot of compelling research out there that suggests keeping workers fresh or incorporating wellness practices increases productivity and workforce culture. Unfortunately the United States doesn't accept these practices very widely.
 
I've been working a swing shift 12 hour days for 20+ years, first week: work 4 days/off 3, 2nd week work 3 days/off 4 and back and forth. I do work a lot of weekends and 12 hours do make for a long day but I really couldn't imagine at this point in my life going back to 5 days. Stores are less crowded during weekdays as well as golf courses, lakes, etc. I have no trouble getting early tee times Mon-Thur.

Great feeling on a Sunday evening after a long day of football not having to get up for work on Monday is also a bonus
 
Our office in the UK has been 35 hours since I started 11 years ago (five days a week, though).

If Japan ends up going 4 days, that would be fairly significant
 
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Handicappers said:
I have one guy that insists on working that 5th day. Says he can't stand being home with his nagging mouthy wife.
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My wife's cousin is my age and "retired" from his job with the city sewer department a couple of years ago. He then went to work for a private water company, and works in an after hours cleaning business. He can't stand his wife, from the sounds of it.
 
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gobucks0409 said:
Our office in the UK has been 35 hours since I started 11 years ago (five days a week, though).

If Japan ends up going 4 days, that would be fairly significant
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Japan or Korea. I doubt either ever will.
 
this reminds me of when i was a shift worker in my Army days, while stationed in Korea. Not exactly the same as what the article is saying, but, we did 6 days on, 3 days off. I miss that, I'd much rather have that, then 5 on and 2 off.
 
gobucks0409 said:
Korea is looking into it, too?
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no, i don't believe so. i'm just saying, that korea is even more hardcore than japan when it comes to time spent actively working, it's like a badge of honor for them to commit to 70-75+ hours per work, regardless of industry.
 
ojb81 said:
no, i don't believe so. i'm just saying, that korea is even more hardcore than japan when it comes to time spent actively working, it's like a badge of honor for them to commit to 70-75+ hours per work, regardless of industry.
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Oh. I believed Japan is actually looking into it, though. Would be surprising to see it happen, but the fact that they would think about it has some significance
 
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