The global trend toward a 4-day workweek has gained momentum, with trials in countries like the UK demonstrating stable or increased productivity, a 1.4% rise in company revenues, and reduced absenteeism across diverse industries and organizations of varying sizes.

Notable experiments, such as Microsoft Japan’s, revealed a 40% productivity increase alongside operational efficiencies like reduced energy consumption, showcasing the model’s potential for both economic and environmental benefits.

Employee well-being has significantly improved in trials, with reduced stress, burnout, and sleep problems reported, as seen in the UK’s largest trial where 91% of organizations planned to continue the model.

However, industries requiring continuous operations, such as healthcare, face challenges in maintaining service delivery, with compressed schedules sometimes leading to increased overtime or staffing difficulties.

Equity concerns arise as hourly and low-wage workers may face reduced income if hours are cut without wage adjustments, limiting access to the model’s benefits.

Environmental benefits have also been noted, with studies indicating reduced commuting emissions and energy consumption in office settings under a 4-day workweek.

Labor unions play a pivotal role in advocating for equitable implementation, emphasizing wage preservation and facilitating pilot programs to address feasibility and worker well-being.

Technological tools, such as automation, have supported the transition by streamlining workflows and maintaining productivity despite reduced hours.

While the 4-day workweek enhances recruitment and retention, as seen in UK trials with reduced turnover and increased job applications, its feasibility varies across industries and demographics.

Ultimately, the model aligns with broader labor trends prioritizing flexibility and well-being, though tailored approaches are necessary to address sector-specific challenges and ensure equitable access.

The global trend toward a 4-day workweek has gained momentum, with trials in countries like the UK demonstrating stable or increased productivity, a 1.4% rise in company revenues, and reduced absenteeism across diverse industries and organizations of varying sizes.

Title:

Content: How about four days a week instead of five?
Here are the results of an exciting experiment involving 60 companies around the world.
More than 60 companies participated in the experiment, allowing around 3,000 employees to work one day less per week while retaining the same salary.
Rates of stress, burnout and fatigue all fell, while problems with sleep declined, the study shows.
Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
MAIN POINTS
• The study found that more than 9 out of 10 companies will continue to shorten the work week or plan to do so
• Productivity was not affected by lighter work weeks, with the company ’ s revenue increasing by an average of 1.4 per cent over the trial period
The study also found that employment increased and absenteeism decreased.
A four-day workweek is more productive for most employees and businesses than the traditional five-day workweek, and is one of the largest trials ever conducted in the UK.
More than 60 companies in the UK participated in the trial over a six-month period, allowing around 3,000 employees to work one day less per week while retaining the same salary.
The trial was conducted between June and December and was organized by a nonprofit group called 4 Day Week Global in collaboration with the Autonomy Research Center, the University of Cambridge, and Boston College in the United States.
The experience is described as the largest in the world around working four days a week.
The survey released on Tuesday found that more than nine out of 10 companies would continue to adopt or plan to do so, while only 4 percent chose not to extend it, regulators said in a statement.
Juliette Shore, a professor at Boston College, said: “The results are largely the same across workplaces of all sizes, demonstrating that this innovation has proven to be effective in many diverse organizations.
Productivity was not affected by shorter working days, with the company ’ s revenue increasing by an average of 1.4% over the trial period.
Revenue jumped 35% on average when compared to similar periods in previous years.
The study also found that employment increased and absenteeism decreased, while the number of resignations dropped sharply during the trial.
In addition, the researchers concluded that overall health and staff well-being improved.
"Significant" increases were also observed in physical and mental health, time spent on exercise, public life and job satisfaction.
Stress, fatigue and fatigue rates have decreased, while sleep problems have decreased.
"Really positive."
Cambridge University professor Brendan Burchell told AFP: “In terms of employees, their mental health improved, they slept better, and they became less stressed.
“But at the same time, companies have stated that if there are changes in their profits or in their performance, they are more likely to go up rather than down. ”
“A lot of people were very happy, people really enjoyed it; and they found it good to have three-day weekends instead of two days. ”
Environmental consultancy Tyler Grange in the UK was among 18 companies that decided to permanently adopt a four-day work week after participating in the trial.
Nathan Jenkinson, customer manager at Tyler Grange, told AFP: “My experience has been really positive, you can see it in people ’ s work and they ’ re more active.
“Employees come to work at the beginning of the week on Monday, after three days off, feel more positive about work and have a lot of energy. ”
Tyler Grange said performance improved slightly despite reduced working hours.
In recent years, studies of the four-day workweek have spread globally as employers explore the nature of post-pandemic work, including the concept of a co-working place that allows more work from home.
Short-week experiments were conducted across Europe, the United States and Canada, as well as in Australia and New Zealand.
However, when asked whether the UK government might adopt the test as a national policy, Prime Minister ’ s spokesman Rishi Sonak sounded cautious and stated, “There are no plans for that. ”
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Published at 22 / 02 / 2023 1: 59pm
Presented by: Nassif Khoury
Source: AFP
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The subject.

Notable experiments, such as Microsoft Japan’s, revealed a 40% productivity increase alongside operational efficiencies like reduced energy consumption, showcasing the model’s potential for both economic and environmental benefits.

Title:

Content: 16 +
More news
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With the advent of new technologies and the introduction of digitalization, labor relations should be accompanied by processes of reducing labor time.
Why it is difficult to make predictions about the introduction of the “four-day ” in Russia
Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Labor, Social Policy and Veterans Affairs Yaroslav Nilov said that the transition to a four-day working week is “a matter of the near future. ”
Candidate of Economic Sciences, President of the Association of Managers and Specialists in Human Resources Management of the Sverdlovsk Region, Head of the Department of Labor Economics and Human Resources Management of USUE Svetlana Dolzhenko explained what work schedule is optimal for most people, and why it is difficult to make predictions about the introduction of a “four-day ” in Russia.
In the Labor Code of Russia, the schedule of work is regulated by 91 articles, according to which the normal duration of the working week cannot exceed 40 hours.
This is due, among other things, to numerous scientific studies on the organization of work and the formation of a balance between work and personal life.
The logic is simple: time to rest should be enough to restore strength for subsequent effective activities.
At the same time, there are several options for working hours: for example, two after two, five-day and six-day working weeks or an incomplete one.
The idea of a four-day work week is not new.
Back in the twenties of the last century, Henry Ford, the founder of the automobile company, realized that well-rested workers work more productively.
At the moment, a reduced work schedule is successfully practiced abroad.
For example, Perpetual Guardian insurance company in New Zealand introduced a 32-hour work week a few years ago.
According to the results, workers not only manage to do the same amount of work in four days as in five, but also become more motivated (by 24%), and productivity increases by 20%.
Another example is Microsoft Japan.
There, with the introduction of a four-day work week, productivity increased by 40%.
For enterprises in Japan, this case is especially important, since it is in this country that the term “karoshi ” means death from processing.
Since the 1950s, Japan has become a benchmark for hard work around the world.
Japanese companies offered workers a lifetime job guarantee and high wages in exchange for irregular working hours and loyalty to superiors.
And business leaders got what they wanted — incredible productivity gains.
But over time, these conditions led to the opposite effect, people were too tired and could not perform their work qualitatively.
In Russia, the proposal to switch to a four-day working week was first put forward in 2019 at that time by the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev.
At the moment, making predictions about the reduction of the working week is quite difficult.
While the deputies did not present the bill, it is not clear how exactly it is proposed to change the regime: an 8-hour working day from Monday to Thursday or a weekly workload of 40 hours will be distributed over four days - a 10-hour working day will be introduced.
And in addition, it is not clear what will happen after the innovations with the salary - will be reduced in proportion to a decrease in the amount of time worked or will remain at the same level?
It is only obvious that with the advent of new technologies and the introduction of digitalization, labor relations should be accompanied, as they were centuries ago, by processes of reducing labor time.
This requires more flexible labor legislation, which in turn will definitely lead to an increase in labor productivity.
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Employee well-being has significantly improved in trials, with reduced stress, burnout, and sleep problems reported, as seen in the UK’s largest trial where 91% of organizations planned to continue the model.

Title:

Content: Ina Opperman
Business Journalist
3 minute read
26 Feb 2023
10:00 am

Largest 4-day week trial results good news for future of work

Ina Opperman

Will a 4-day workweek work? It seems that employees and employers are happy.

The results of the world’s largest 4-day week trial is good news for the future of work, with new research showing that these results are largely in line with existing global evidence, further demonstrating the benefits of reduced-hour, output-focused working.

The pilot programme conducted in the UK by non-profit 4 Day Week Global, the UK’s 4-Day Week Campaign and think tank Autonomy, guided over 60 companies and almost 3 000 workers through a six-month trial of a 4-day week, with no loss of pay for workers.

This brings the global campaign’s total number of completed pilot participants to 91 companies and approximately 3 500 employees. Lead researcher, professor Juliet Schor of Boston College, says overall results show that almost every organisation will stick to a 4-day week after the trial, with 91% definitely continuing or planning to continue and another 4% leaning towards continuing. Only 4% of participants are definitely not continuing.

Participating companies rated their overall experience of the trials at an average of 8.5/10, with business productivity and business performance each scoring 7.5/10. Revenue increased by 35% over the trial periods when compared to similar periods from the previous year, while hiring increased and absenteeism decreased.

ALSO READ: 28 SA companies to implement 4-day work week on 1 March

Improved employee wellbeing and health

During the trial it was also found that the health and wellbeing of employees also improved, with significant increases observed in physical and mental health, time spent exercising and overall life and job satisfaction. Rates of stress, burnout and fatigue all decreased along with problems with sleep.

Even the environmental outcomes were encouraging, with commuting time falling across the full sample by a half hour per week.

Schor says she observed an encouraging consistency in the data, with results largely steady across workplaces of varying sizes, demonstrating this is an innovation which works for many types of organisations.

“There are also some interesting differences. We found that employees in non-profits and professional services had a larger average increase in time spent exercising, while those in construction and manufacturing enjoyed the largest reductions in burnout and sleep problems.”

Behavioural scientist and new CEO of 4-Day Week Global, Dr Dale Whelehan, explained the sample produced interesting differences in gender outcomes. “While men and women benefit from a 4-day week, women’s experience is generally better for burnout, life and job satisfaction, mental health and reduced commuting time.”

ALSO READ: 4-day work week pilot so successful, all participating companies sticking to it

4-day workweek also balances home tasks

Encouragingly, the research also showed that the burden of non-work duties appears to be balancing out, with more men taking on a greater share of housework and childcare.

Co-founder and MD of 4-Day Week Global, Charlotte Lockhart, says her team is delighted to be expanding the arguments in favour of a 4-day week with this new world-class academic research. “We look forward to adding our Australasian pilot results to this data set in the coming weeks and our European, South African, Brazilian and North American results in the coming months.”

4-Day Week Global was founded in New Zealand by entrepreneurs and philanthropists, Andrew Barnes and Charlotte Lockhart, following the world-renowned success of their pioneering trial of the 4-day week in Perpetual Guardian.

Their approach is based on the 100-80-100™ model designed by Lockhart alongside the Perpetual Guardian trial in 2018. That means 100% of the pay, for 80% of the time, in exchange for a commitment to deliver 100% of the output.

4-Day Week Global’s ambition is to make a 4-day week the new default and reduced working time the new standard.

However, industries requiring continuous operations, such as healthcare, face challenges in maintaining service delivery, with compressed schedules sometimes leading to increased overtime or staffing difficulties.

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4 days a week, depending on the occupation, some of the advantages of recruitment, some afraid of being forced to work overtime.
Increasingly, companies are trying to work four days a week, but employees and bosses who have tried this are divided about how effective it is to work one day less per week.
The Wall Street Journal reported on the 25th that Brian McNaboe, a consultant at Harvard Business School, said he found that reducing the weekly hours can maintain overall efficiency.
He was previously CTO at Volt Athletics, a Seattle-based startup that provides virtual personal training, and the team successfully adopted the “Flexible Friday ” approach, where employees can choose to work or not work on Fridays.
“From a productivity standpoint, it was very successful and very popular, and the company decided to make it permanent and a recruiting advantage, ” Mr. McNabb said.
However, for some industries, reducing the number of working days per week may not be worth it.
Among them, Jennifer Newman, a former employee who worked for large advertising companies, said that former employers switched to four eight-hour shifts a week during the epidemic, but most employees had to work overtime to meet the deadline.
“I ’ m a little skeptical of those who say it ’ s ‘ employee benefits, ’ ” Newman said.“ It ’ s basically a five-day workload into four days. ”
Advertisers may think, like Newman, that it is very difficult to cut time and do the job well, and even more impossible for the consumer-facing service industry.
Mike Groves, CEO of Federal Lock & Safe in Arlington, Virginia, said, “It ’ s hard for the service industry to do that.
Groves was adamant that the company had to open five days a week, but he allowed employees to strike a more work-life balance: the company worked seven hours a day, with employees arriving at 6 a.m. and leaving around 1 p.m.
Shorter working hours per day, while improving retention and productivity.
According to the Wall Street Journal, based on their experience of receiving hundreds of shortened working days, although many workers believe that "productivity" should be the only important indicator, many bosses still stress that "hours of work" is an important measure of productivity.
Roy Eriksson, president and CEO of engineering firm Alickson in Tampa, Fla., says measuring work is hard to move away from hours.
Wages and productivity must be combined, he said, and the current representation is the number of hours worked.
“You can ’ t casually reduce the number of hours your employees work, ” he said.“ Working hours translate into productivity, which is needed for pay and benefits. ”
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What did Labor economist Jonathan Boys say about 4-day workweek?

Healthcare industry may face more problems.

Equity concerns arise as hourly and low-wage workers may face reduced income if hours are cut without wage adjustments, limiting access to the model’s benefits.

Title:

Content: Work life

Summer Fridays walked so the four-day workweek could run

Employees are now in favor of flexibility over temporary time off.

· 3 min read

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

What’s top of mind at the water cooler.

The legend of the Summer Friday: Once upon a time, for three sacred months every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day, employees were allowed to clock out after lunch every Friday and head immediately to the bar.

It’s said that the tradition started in NYC in the ’60s as companies searched for ways to boost employee productivity and morale during the summer months. (There’s even a brand named after it!) If you were lucky enough to work somewhere that offered this perk (usually publishing or advertising), your weekend started with midday happy hours and early bird beach days while friends at less generous corporations smoldered with jealousy.

But with the push toward remote work, Summer Fridays have become a ghost of workplace past as they may have ushered in something even better: the four-day workweek.

As companies scrambled to deal with office closures during the pandemic, most work suddenly became remote. Facing Covid variant after variant and a resistance to returning to the office, some employers like tech companies Bolt and Buffer opted to permanently remove a day from the workweek to better suit employee needs. A jumbo Summer Friday! Perfect, right?

Unfortunately, the exact logistics of the four-day workweek have been tricky. Who can and can’t participate? Does the four-day workweek mean longer working hours? What happens if there’s still work to be done once Friday rolls around?

To get some insight, Sidekick spoke with Alicia Garcia, chief culture officer at MasterControl and Jes Osrow, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expert and founder of The Rise Journey consultancy, who had these thoughts to share:

  • Fixed schedules ≠ productivity. While a five-day, nine-to-five workweek has worked for most US-based companies, that doesn’t mean employees produce their best work during that time.
  • Flexibility is king. “The biggest issue with policies like the four-day workweek or Summer Fridays is that they’re still rigid. Whether it’s a four-day or five-day workweek, the exact days and times employees are required to work are fixed…When approached by employees, the most common request is ‘flexibility,’” said Garcia.
  • Flexibility isn’t an option for everyone. “We’re not thinking about essential workers, we’re not thinking about folks on the ground, and we’re not thinking about grocery store owners. It’s important to recognize that even though we do talk the big talk about a four-day workweek, it only applies to a small fraction of workers in the US and/or globally,” Osrow explained.

As the highly discussed ✨future of work✨ continues to develop, employees are looking for more flexibility. Whether that means working remotely from far-flung corners of the world or logging off a little early to go pick your children up from daycare—employers should take notes, not dictate them.—MW

Level up your career and your life with Sidekick

Career advice, productivity hacks, entertainment, and more. If it’s worth your time, it’s in here.

Environmental benefits have also been noted, with studies indicating reduced commuting emissions and energy consumption in office settings under a 4-day workweek.

Title:

Content: -- >
Friday, 01 December 2023 08: 36 GMT
eanad to implement 4 days a week in the UAE
(MENAFN- Al-Bayan)
iAND announced the introduction of a four-day work week in three of its departments in the UAE, becoming the first technology group in the country to adopt a global model that allows flexibility in the work environment.
The pilot initiative reflects EAND ’ s leadership in shaping future policies and models for the work environment, recognizing that the well-being of its employees is directly linked to enhanced productivity and innovation. The new work programme supports employees and enables them to achieve work-life balance.
Dina Al Mansouri, Chief Human Resources Officer at E & D, said: “We are pleased to launch this pilot initiative, as we understand that as we strive to innovate new services and technology solutions, we must also update our work environment strategies to keep pace with development.
It is essential to revisit and update existing standards, learn through experience, and align internal business policies to create a more efficient and productive work environment, while at the same time achieving business prosperity and growth. ”
Employees who join the initiative are entitled to a three-day weekend from Friday to Sunday, and EAND applies a hybrid work system where employees work remotely two days a week, one on Friday, to focus on sustainability by reducing energy consumption in offices and reducing carbon emissions from mobility.
The new work week model is proving to improve employee well-being and productivity, and significantly contribute to protecting the environment by reducing carbon emissions from mobility, according to research published by the World Economic Forum.
“We believe that the well-being of our employees is one of our top priorities to shape and lay the foundations for a more sustainable future. By reducing travel times and resource consumption, we reflect the UAE ’ s ambition for well-being and sustainability, and we support the Group ’ s commitment to achieving its carbon neutrality goals, ” Al Mansouri said.
The launch of E & T ’ s pilot initiative is in line with the federal government ’ s announcement of a four-day reduced work week for government employees and underscores the success of Sharjah, which has recorded a 90% increase in job performance, happiness and mental health following its introduction in 2022.
E & E views these employee-focused initiatives as key factors that have helped it win several international awards, including “Best Employer in the MENA Region ” by Global Brand and“ Best Employer in the Private and Government Sectors ” by the GCC Human Resources Award, demonstrating E & E ’ s efforts in creating a work environment where everyone can succeed and excel.
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Labor unions play a pivotal role in advocating for equitable implementation, emphasizing wage preservation and facilitating pilot programs to address feasibility and worker well-being.

Title:

Content: In Germany, began an experiment with a four-day work week
People are sitting in a cafe.
Featured image: saliraparis
In Germany, they decided to conduct an experiment with a four-day work week.
It started today, February 1 and will last six months.
This is reported by Bloomberg.
Read also:
Four-day work week in Germany
The purpose of this experiment is to test in practice the assertion of trade unions that an additional day off will make workers healthier, happier and more productive.
It is known that 45 companies take part in the experiment - their employees will work four days a week with the preservation of wages.
At the same time, such a solution is seen as one way to solve the problems caused by the acute shortage of skilled labor.
Since the factor of shortage of specialists is often used by trade unions to demand higher wages for workers.
For example, the construction workers ’ union is demanding a wage increase of more than 20% for 930,000 workers.
According to economists, this may lead to a jump in inflation in the country.
Preliminary experiments on shortened workweeks in the US and Canada showed that employees had improved physical and mental health and reduced burnout.
Recall that in the Spanish Valencia for a month tested a four-day working week.
As a result, researchers and city authorities found that this approach is useful for the city.
We also wrote that recently Germany is gaining more and more popularity among Ukrainian refugees.
And all because the conditions in the country are becoming more attractive.
Topical on the topic

Technological tools, such as automation, have supported the transition by streamlining workflows and maintaining productivity despite reduced hours.

Title:

Content: Comit becomes first Irish PR agency to move to four-day week

Change will lead to the creation of 15 new jobs in PR, digital content, and communications consulting
Trade
Allan Chapman, Comit

4 April 2022

Tech specialist PR and communications agency Commit is set to become the first PR agency in Ireland to adopt a four-day week.

Starting 1 May, the agency will move away from the traditional five-day week to the new way of working, which aims to boost employee wellbeing as well as productivity.

Comit’s four-day week is the first element in a significant innovation programme being rolled out by the PR agency. It will lead to the creation of 15 new jobs in PR, digital content, and communications consulting.

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The company will also invest €200,000 in digital transformation, training, and new service development. The digital transformation investment will fund the introduction of a suite of productivity, automation, and other digital tools, which will enable team members to be more productive. The funding will also enable the PR agency to invest in new digital and data analytics services for clients.

Founded in 1997, the Dublin-based PR and communications agency is on a strong growth path and has built up a significant customer base including technology and tech-oriented organisations spanning areas including cybersecurity, managed services, FinTech, data centres, consultancy, software development, communications, location intelligence, sustainability, and Ireland’s start-up ecosystem.

Employees, clients, and other key stakeholders have been consulted about the four-day week to ensure a smooth transition to the new way of working. Comit’s four-day week initiative will initially be trialled for six months and will see staff remain on their existing salaries.

“This decision has come about as part of a well-thought-out innovation process whereby we reviewed and reimagined our working model,” said Allan Chapman, managing director, Comit. “As well as maximising flexibility for our team and prioritising wellbeing, we wanted to identify new ways to enhance the value we deliver for clients and how we deliver our service.

“It is important to stress that this is not a compressed approach to the four-day week, whereby team members will be asked to squeeze 40 hours into four days. Our aim is to empower and support people by giving them more time that they can use to do the things that they enjoy.”

Chapman continued: “We carried out a very detailed planning and research process, which included speaking to international PR agencies who have already implemented a four-day week, as well as our own employees and clients. The clear message from this was that happy, energised employees are more focused, more productive and achieve better results. The four-day week will also enable us to attract and retain the very best PR, digital and communications professionals as we grow our team and roll out innovative new services.

“We are very excited to reveal this four-day week initiative and announce the investment in our growing team as we approach the milestone of 25 years in business this year. We see this move and expansion as being great for the business, great for the team and great for our clients.”

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What did  the trial of 4-day workwee in New Zealand show?

What has the implementation 4-day wrokweek in Dubai, UAE indicated?

While the 4-day workweek enhances recruitment and retention, as seen in UK trials with reduced turnover and increased job applications, its feasibility varies across industries and demographics.

Title:

Content: UK companies test "4-day working week" workers generally agree that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages 51% permanent implementation
Author: Zhang Zijie
Published: Updated:
A number of UK companies are participating in a four-day workweek pilot scheme in the second half of 2022, with media reporting that most of the participating companies continue to allow employees to work fewer hours per week, and more than half of the companies have made the arrangement a regular measure.
The United Kingdom has 61 companies from marketing, professional services, non-profit organizations, construction, manufacturing, retail, health care, art and other industries, employees from June to December 2022, participate in the four-day work week, pay and performance of the same trial.
British citizens walk through the Canary Wharf Financial District on August 3, 2023. (Reuters)
As of the end of 2023, at least 89% of participating companies continued to maintain the measure, and at least 51% permanently implemented the measure, according to a report published by Autonomy, a think-tank that conducted the research.
The study found that shortening work hours generally benefits employees and businesses, who feel that their mental and physical health has improved, as well as a better balance between work and life, a better life, and less fatigue from work.
In addition, the managers and CEOs of the 28 participating companies unanimously agreed that the four-day work week has had a positive impact on the company, reducing staff wastage, significantly improving recruitment, and benefiting employees physically and mentally.
Sixty-one companies from different industries in the UK piloted a four-day work week in 2022, and the results were generally positive.
People enjoy a view of the City of London on 23 September 2023.
(Reuters)
The study, which listed a number of ways to maintain a four-day work week, including safety changes such as meetings, workplace communication, and work priorities, found that the improvements felt by employees continued for a year after the trial ended.
Researchers at Boston College, Cambridge, and Oxford University believe that the key to the strength of the data is not the rare or short-term impact, but the real and long-term impact.
Therefore, the four-day work week is not a flash in the sky, and British companies have succeeded in turning it into a permanent and effective measure.
Is the overall efficiency of returning less than one day of work declining instead of rising?
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+ 16

What did Labor economist Jonathan Boys say about 4-day workweek?

Food and beverage industry may face more problems.

Ultimately, the model aligns with broader labor trends prioritizing flexibility and well-being, though tailored approaches are necessary to address sector-specific challenges and ensure equitable access.