Study shows that we only work four days anyway

Feet up in the office? From a purely mathematical perspective, we do this very often. (Image: Nadia L/peopleimages.com – adobe.stock.com)

The four-day week has been advocated for years. Supposedly it improves productivity and yet many companies do not dare to reduce the working hours of their employees.

Fortune published a study that makes a clear statement.

Five days of work is not productive

The study found that although most of us spend five days in the office, we actually only work four days. This can have many reasons, some of which are:

• exhaustion
• Not enough work
• Postpone work
• Conversations with colleagues

Some have made a virtue of necessity and simply taken on two jobs.

The non-profit organization 4 Day Week Global has shown in its own study that employees can achieve just as much in a 33-hour week as in 38 hours. Such a distribution would be conceivable in shift work in several industries and does not only apply to office jobs.

A study by the Hans Böckler Foundation not only says that 81 percent of Germans would like a 4-day week, but that employees would also benefit from it. The benefits would be more time with the family, a better work-life balance and, as a result, a healthier life.

Long-term study proves benefits

4 Day Week Global launched a pilot project in which they supported people who only worked four days a week instead of five for twelve months.

The results of the project are clear – and are in the same vein as the Hans Böckler Foundation.

During the twelve months, test subjects used the reduced working hours more efficiently. Although they initially felt stressed because they had less time to complete their tasks, this feeling eventually subsided.

The organization has found that employees’ physical and mental health has improved. They had more time and were more satisfied with their work and their lives.

The world of work is in a state of upheaval. Since the emergence of AI, jobs and entire job landscapes have changed drastically. Google has an AI up its sleeve that writes news, and Gizmodo has thrown out its entire editorial team in Spain.

Several studies show the benefits of a four-day week over a five-day week. People live healthier lives, have more free time and are happier. What do you think of the four-day week? Would you like to work one less day to have more time for yourself? Or are you worried that the job will become too stressful for you due to the shorter working hours? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.