4-Day Work Weeks = Better Health?

SOME WORKERS ARE ENJOYING BETTER PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING

By Dylan Roche

Nearly 100 years ago, the economist John Maynard Keynes published an essay titled “Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren,” in which he predicted the typical workweek would go down to 15 hours per week by 2030 because of the numerous industry innovations that were making many jobs easier to complete.

How wrong Keynes was! If anything, many people are working longer hours than they were a century ago. And their health is suffering for it.

But what if people did cut back on the amount of time they spent working? What if we could spend four days at the office instead of five, and enjoy a three-day weekend (or an extra day off in the middle of the week)?

The idea is that people could enjoy a better work-life balance, achieve better mental and physical health, and ultimately be more productive in the reduced time they spend working. And experts say this is sound thinking—the International Labour Organization put out a statement in 2018 saying that long hours often hurt productivity and increase fatigue.

When people are working fewer hours, they are likely to have:

Specifically, the companies that participated saw:

• Sick days and absenteeism decreased

• Employees reported feeling less burnout

• Overall revenue for the companies increased by 8 percent

But the idea of working fewer days isn’t necessarily embraced by everyone, particularly if the number of overall hours worked remains the same. In Belgium, a legal measure passed that switched businesses to operating on 10-hour workdays for four days instead of eight-hour workdays over five days. Many people reported that this kind of schedule was much more stressful.

But if people have more energy from their improved physical health and better focus thanks to their improved mental health, they might be able to accomplish everything in 32 hours a week instead of 40. And at a time when many businesses are striving to attract talent with perks like office lunches or commuter benefits, it’s worth looking at the real perk the average American wants: more flexibility and time to take care of themselves.

More time to exercise

• More time to sleep • More time to enjoy nutritious meals • More time to focus on families and hobbies, which can boost their mood

It’s a concept that is growing in popularity worldwide. The nonprofit organization 4-Day Week Global released a study at the end of 2022 looking at data from 33 countries that adopted a four-day workweek for six months. The study described these programs as a “resounding success” and said companies were “extremely pleased with their performance, productivity, and overall experience.”