Hopefully You’re Enjoying a Four-Day Work Week. Might it Work if Every Work Week Was Only Four Days?
By Rachel Puryear
If you enjoyed a long weekend for the Fourth of July this year, and had the bonus of a short work week; you might be wishing that every week had only four days on and three days off (if you don’t already have that or something even better). Of course, you might be wondering how you would get any work done that way, and so do many employers – which is understandable. However, this idea has been tested before in other countries – and with surprisingly positive results!
A study in Iceland tracked what happened when 2,500 workers worked 35-36 hours a week instead of 40 hours, over a four-year period. Not only did workers not become less productive, but they actually became more productive! It’s not the amount of hours worked, it’s how productive those hours worked are. Furthermore, the employees levels of stress were reduced significantly, and their wellbeing improved across several factors. The workers did not receive any pay cut, only their hours were cut.
As of June 2021, 86% of Iceland’s workers are now under contracts with either shorter working hours, or at least the right to move to shorter working hours.
What a success story!
Thank you for reading, sharing, and following, dear readers. Here’s to thriving and prospering on your terms, so you can spend more time doing what you love, with those you love.
Free Range Life 