It’s safe to say that most people would love to work only four days a week rather than five, and a new study suggests companies should really think about making the cut.
The study, conducted by academics at the University of Auckland and Auckland University of Technology, focused on New Zealand financial firm Perpetual Guardian, which adopted a four-day work week last November, with employees maintaining their regular salary. And what they found could make the case for giving most employees a three-day weekend.
The study noted that not only was there not a drop in the work that got done, productivity actually increased. What’s more, there was a huge increase in commitment and empowerment of employees, while stress levels decreased 7% from 45% to 38% and folks saw a more positive work-life balance, with scores increasing from 54% to 78%.
- One employee,Tammy Baker, who was part of the study says she found herself more focused on projects when she was working less, rather than jumping around to different things. She also said she found herself working harder because she had the extra day off to compensate for it.
- As for what people did with that extra time, the study notes they usually spent it on things they would normally do on the weekend like playing golf or watching Netflix, although some did start adopting new activities, like “spending time with parents,” “spending much-needed time studying,” and “cleaning the house on a Wednesday and then having the weekend free.”
Source:The Guardian