four-day workweek in the U.K. show showed significantly reduced rates of employee stress and illness while maintaining productivity.The six-month trial, billed as the world’s largest of its kind, included 61 companies that committed to a 20% reduction in working hours for all staff — with no drop in wages.
It began in June and ran through December 2022.The organizers of the trial found that 71% of employees self-reported lower levels of "burnout," and 39% said they were less stressed, compared to the start of the trial.
There was also a 65% reduction in sick days, and a 57% fall in the number of staff who quit, compared to the same period the previous year.
Meanwhile, company revenue barely changed during the trial period and even increased marginally by 1.4% on average, according to the results.