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Prior to this job at BroBible, I worked for a much worse and far less viewed website. As far as first jobs out of college are concerned, I suppose it was alright. My boss was decent enough, as he let me work four, 10-hour long days as opposed to five, 8-hour long days. And this was about half a decade ago.
In the years since, the idea of the four-day work week has only been further popularized both abroad and in the United States, as evidenced by this recent multinational study on the matter that was recently reported on by CNN.
According to the findings from the global pilot, four-day work weeks were beneficial for both employers and employees, as both productivity and positivity increased as a result. Here’s an effective summary of how the study went: of the 33 companies and 903 workers who were trialed, “most” of them are “unlikely to ever go back to a standard working week.”
Furthermore, nearly 100% of the 495 employees who responded to the study’s survey said they wanted to continue with 4-day work weeks.
After six months, most of the 33 companies and 903 workers trialing the schedule, with no reduction in pay, are unlikely ever to go back to a standard working week, according to the organizers of the global pilot program. None of the 27 participating companies who responded to a survey by 4 Day Week Global said they were leaning towards or planning on returning to their former five-day routine.
About 97% of the 495 employees who responded said they wanted to continue with a four-day week. The majority of companies taking part in the trial were based in the United States and Ireland. Those responding to the survey rated their overall experience 9 out of 10, based on productivity and performance. Workers were equally positive about the trial, reporting lower levels of stress, fatigue, insomnia and burnout, and improvements in physical and mental health. [via CNN]
While scientists across the globe can conduct studies until their blue in the face, the fact remains that the benefit of the 4-day work week can be explained with simple logic: the more time humans are given to live their own lives and pursue their own passions, the more they’ll be committed to the job that allows for that.