Study shows working a four day workweek is effective

My wife works from home, and she worked a four-day workweek and loved it.

Icelandic researchers found that a four-day workweek without a pay cut improved worker wellbeing dramatically.

A study published by the independent think tank Autonomy followed 2,500 workers in Iceland for four years to determine how they would react to only 35 to 36 hours of work per week instead of 40.

They concluded that it was "by all measures an overwhelming success" after tracking workers from 2015 to 2019.

According to the study, productivity and services provided remain the same or improved. Furthermore, the study found that workers' wellbeing "dramatically improved across a range of indicators, from perceived stress and burnout to health and work-life balance."

A wide range of employees was included in the study, including hospital workers, social service providers, teachers, and office workers.

"It shows that the public sector is primed for becoming a leader in shorter working weeks - and lessons can be learned for other governments," said Will Stronge, Director of Research at Autonomy.

"Iceland has taken a big step towards implementing the four-day working week, providing a great real-life example for Local Councils and public sector workers considering implementing it here in the UK."

Autonomy claimed that Icelandic trade unions and their confederations reduced the work hours for tens of thousands of their members across the country after the successful study.

The study stated that by the time the report is published in June 2021, 86% of Iceland's working population would be on contracts that either allow them to work fewer hours or grant them the right to do so in the future.

Similar studies are being conducted across the globe, including in Spain and New Zealand.

In the radio biz, we work a lot. So I don't think it would work with us; maybe taking off on Mondays might work.