Working from Monday through to Friday can make your week feel long. But a huge change could be coming in the way we work in this country after a 'major breakthrough' in a recent trial.
A pilot study conducted by social scientists at the University of Cambridge looked at the possible benefits of a four-day working week. Results showed that 39% of the 2,990 participants claimed to have felt less stressed while 71% reported having lower levels of “burnout.”
Taking place between June and December last year, the trial involved 61 companies in the UK, from all different work sectors. One of the companies that took part in the study was The Royal Society of Biology whose Chief Executive claimed to have seen an increase in productivity, saying: “Before the trial, on average, each person would take four to five sick days per year - that’s down to less than two.”
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Tessa Gibson, a senior accreditation officer for the society said it 'made a big difference to her mental health,” and that she wouldn’t want to go back to a five-day week.
She said: "Weekends can be a pretty hectic time for the best of us, from housework that needs to get done, to the laundry pile that never seems to get smaller and for those who have children, weekends can pretty much be a write off as a time to relax. But a four-day working week allows workers an extra day to get stuff done, giving them at least part of their weekend back."
However, not everyone is a fan of the idea, Jay Richards who is the co-founder of Imagen Insights explained how a four-day week can leave workers feeling like they have to get more done but in less time. Explaining his reasoning he said: “We do a five-day week but we work 10am to 4pm, we shorten our days so the employees have that work-life harmony but they’re not actually shortening their week, which I think would put more pressure on them.”
While some may not agree or like the idea, 92% of the companies who took part in the study have expressed their intent to continue with the four-day week now the study has finished, and 18 of them are making the change permanent.
What do you think of four-day weeks? Let us know in the comments below.
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