Four-Day Workweek Validated: Boost for Productivity & Leisure Tech
An international study confirming the benefits of a 4-day workweek (lower burnout, better mental health, higher job satisfaction) validates a growing global trend. This presents opportunities for HR technology and consulting firms specializing in work model transitions, productivity tools designed for condensed work schedules, and a significant boost for the leisure, travel, and hobby industries as employees gain more consistent free time. Wellness programs focusing on holistic employee well-being will also see increased demand.
Origin Reddit Post
r/science
A new international study found that a four-day workweek with no loss of pay significantly improved worker well-being, including lower burnout rates, better mental health, and higher job sati
Posted by u/mvea•07/21/2025
Top Comments
u/SaltyPinKY
I'll take the 4 day work week and a budget plan over the pay raise and same hours
u/Nate1492
You lose the benefit of the 4 day week -- That the extra rest day helps increase productivity.
All you're doing in this scenario is losing 1 day of work, while the worker is doing the exact
u/DJSnafu
what a shocking result
u/Wutiswrongwu
In Greece the government (which is currently being investigated for many scandals) voted for 13 hours a day,6 days a week.theyre justifying it by saying that its voluntary,but no employee has
u/Wutiswrongwu
Yes thats true.the thing is that they and their voters, hypocritically are concerned about the population decline,but keep having all this profit from all the overpriced goods and rentals.the
u/Unraveller
Maybe the company deals in actual products, not just meetings?
"Hey, I need this item tomorrow, so we don't shut down production of Insulin?"
"Sorry, we are closed for the next 90 h
u/Dannybuoy77
Money grabbing companies hate this one simple trick
u/Prae_
Profit is only one part of the equation. Money is a means to power, both for the institution and the people in it. Companies as a whole, C-suite, senior and middle management individually, ar
u/veryangryenglishman
I think you're missing the point I'm making - and Amazon fulfillment centres are a kind of poor example anyway as they would fall under the category of jobs that can't really be done in a 4 d
u/ThatLunchBox
Genuine questions here:
How do we know that people are actually more productive working 4 days a week versus 5 over the long term?
Is it not possible that the people who retain the producti
u/AllanfromWales1
A 20% per hour payrise while retaining the same hours would also improve worker wellbeing and job satisfaction..
u/anobjectiveopinion
Yes but did it improve productivity? That's what employers will care about
u/Mr-Logic101
So the last time I checked at my job, the only thing that actually matters is the overall output of the individual. Any employee “happinesses” perks are just an aside at best. Production effi
u/AllanfromWales1
Fair enough, but not everyone is in that situation. Plenty struggle to make ends meet.
u/Wutiswrongwu
Yes thats true.the thing is that they and their voters, hypocritically are concerned about the population decline,but keep having all this profit from all the overpriced goods and rentals.the
u/No_Extension_6288
Considering their population decline, I imagine this is going to exacerbate the issue
u/ai9909
What they should care about is that where all this was put in practice during the last pandemic, there was a notable INCREASE in productivity.
But I suppose it may matter more to those who d
u/c0reM
We trialed a 4-day workweek backfired spectacularly, but probably not for the reason you’d think.
We did 4-day with full time remote contractors. They started being exhausted at work. Guess
u/DontRefuseMyBatchall
It is painful how true this line of thinking is.
“Well if everyone else is working 4 day weeks, then our competitive edge will come from out working the other companies…”
Literally could
u/come-on-now-please
It can rub people the wrong way because all the sudden they realize that you're not some worker drone who would die for the company and "go above and beyond" aka work more for free or putting
u/veryangryenglishman
Exactly - any muppet can point out that all but the most servile of employees would be happy to take an extra day off with no change in pay or extended hours to accommodate it on the working
u/ScarletWitchfanboy__
How was it even hard? „We can’t meet on Friday because our company is closed that day“ „okay let’s do Monday“
Doesn’t seem that hard it’s just a matter of will
u/Some-Cat8789
Both the NewAtlas and Nature links are 404 for me.
u/DevelopmentGrand4331
It’s also worth understanding that a lot of managers have never really had to build or accomplish anything. Often, success in management comes from doing some minor tweak that provides good
u/Mr__Random
We have taken a factory production line template and applied it to literally everything. Starting at school, long before people even have a job.
Before this lots of jobs were essentially "on
u/RedditApothecary
Why shouldn't the workers, who do all the work and constitute the overwhelming majority, have their (our) well-being prioiritized, certainly over fetishizing efficiency in an era of unprecede
u/1heart1totaleclipse
That’s wild. I’m sorry. That’s just stealing your life essentially.
u/aleksandrjames
“They can do all that in four days? Imagine if they worked that hard for 5 days!”
u/Few-Mood6580
I do 4/10 hour days to make up the difference. It would be nice to get home a little sooner but ultimately doesn’t make much of a difference, I end up not doing much for the 1 1/2 hour anyway
u/BaneSixEcho
Same here.
After the Covid lockdowns were lifted I went from the usual 5 days / 40 hours to 4/32 with the pay cut.
I was still able to afford my lifestyle, so that extra day off every week
u/anobjectiveopinion
Yes but did it improve productivity? That's what employers will care about
u/redyellowblue5031
~52 extra days off a year. That’s how I’ve always thought about it.
u/Few-Mood6580
I do 4/10 hour days to make up the difference. It would be nice to get home a little sooner but ultimately doesn’t make much of a difference, I end up not doing much for the 1 1/2 hour anyway
u/veryangryenglishman
>It's not actually relevant to most companies however, because they literally do not care about work satisfaction
Yes... That's why I wrote a whole comment pointing out that these studies
u/Mr-Logic101
So the last time I checked at my job, the only thing that actually matters is the overall output of the individual. Any employee “happinesses” perks are just an aside at best. Production effi
u/StrangeCharmVote
Sadly yes, exactly that.
u/SteveDougson
> Using that 8 hours to sleep in, **catch up on chores**, do stuff at other 9-5 M-F businesses that you can't while working full time - then go into the friday evening and weekend with it
u/thatoneguy889
One thing I noticed in every comment section when a post about this kind of thing comes up is that nearly every commenter has an office job and takes zero consideration for things like machin
u/NickEcommerce
Not to mention that the argument goes like this:
> **Manager:** Boss, this study shows that people produce as much or even **more** in a 4 day week than a 5 day one.
u/Brrdock
Some studies show it even improves overall productivity.
But it's not even about profits anymore, but probably about keeping the rabble busy and exhausted so they don't have the time and en
u/barnfodder
It's worse than that.
Once they find out they can get 5 days of product from 4 days of work, they start to expect 6 days of product from 5.
u/chicharro_frito
Oh wow, this shouldn't be legal in the EU :O.
u/AllanfromWales1
A 20% per hour payrise while retaining the same hours would also improve worker wellbeing and job satisfaction..
u/WTFwhatthehell
Sadly a non-trivial fraction of our "management class" are people who have genuinely never done real work.
Often they went to college, got a management degree and go straight into low level
u/CollegeJunior8208
Who knew time off helps mental health.
u/[deleted]
[deleted]
u/Aiyon
My current manager started out as an engineer, and it really shows in how he interacts with us. He's hands off when we're doing our thing, but when we need steering or assistance, he's right
u/Wraith11B
Sounds like it's time for the very laconian reply of "Molon Labe".
u/FuckinBopsIsMyJob
Whoa whoa whoa - Are you trying to tell me the children *don't* yearn for the mines??
u/cabbage16
The children yearn for the mines, that much is known. What they need is to be able to go to the mines on their own free time so they can actually enjoy the mines.
u/Wraith11B
Sounds like it's time for the very laconian reply of "Molon Labe".
u/sluttytarot
In the USA the relevant decision makers aren't doing this and they know this info the point is to crush people with work and financial stress.
We need a strike there's a general strike effo
u/enaK66
And not just basic management. C-suite people are successful, but not necessarily intelligent, and often have a psychopathic hatred of laborers. These people will do things that cost them mor
u/BaconIsntThatGood
>This is what really aggravates me about studies like this - there's already a growing body of data showing that where it's possible to implement the 4 day week, productivity remains stron
u/toobjunkey
Not in construction but i work a warehouse that needs to be available 364 days of the year to accommodate the semi carriers. My kneejerk response to these studies & articles is basically
u/rulanmooge
This theory works for office work but not necessarily for manual labor types of jobs.
It would result in a vastly increase level of payroll.
For example: it requires X number of bodies e
u/bobsmeds
I think everyone is missing the real point here - suffering is good for the economy. Think of how much money is made off of people that are miserable and burnt out as a result of being stretc
u/Snirbs
Maybe in family businesses but any major corp you do not go straight into management.
u/thatoneguy889
One thing I noticed in every comment section when a post about this kind of thing comes up is that nearly every commenter has an office job and takes zero consideration for things like machin
u/NickEcommerce
Not to mention that the argument goes like this:
> **Manager:** Boss, this study shows that people produce as much or even **more** in a 4 day week than a 5 day one.
u/veryangryenglishman
Exactly - any muppet can point out that all but the most servile of employees would be happy to take an extra day off with no change in pay or extended hours to accommodate it on the working
u/empire161
> If you can show them data that will increase their profits change will come. Business doesn’t give a crap about people who work for them.
You can show them data that paying workers more
u/StrangeCharmVote
Hey, i get where you're coming from. But these companies demonstrably do not care about those metrics.
Look at Amazon for example, to my understanding they literally are running out of peopl
u/Wutiswrongwu
In Greece the government (which is currently being investigated for many scandals) voted for 13 hours a day,6 days a week.theyre justifying it by saying that its voluntary,but no employee has
u/ScarletWitchfanboy__
How was it even hard? „We can’t meet on Friday because our company is closed that day“ „okay let’s do Monday“
Doesn’t seem that hard it’s just a matter of will
u/MIT_Engineer
Companies would be fine with a 4 day work week if you worked for 80% of the pay.
u/iHateYou247
Page not found
u/balderdash9
People literally had to die for us to win worker's rights. It takes solidarity and sacrifice. Solidarity has been intentionally diminished (unions, churches, etc.) and we are now too individu
u/DiscoBanane
It does per hour, but not in total.
It's only worth for the employers in some cases for raising quality of work. Already used in some high end restaurants/hotels, specialised industries, or
u/ai9909
What they should care about is that where all this was put in practice during the last pandemic, there was a notable INCREASE in productivity.
But I suppose it may matter more to those who d
u/Prae_
Profit is only one part of the equation. Money is a means to power, both for the institution and the people in it. Companies as a whole, C-suite, senior and middle management individually, ar
u/Tmnath
If this is a case study in "Do people read the articles?", it's a good one
u/StrangeCharmVote
Hey, i get where you're coming from. But these companies demonstrably do not care about those metrics.
Look at Amazon for example, to my understanding they literally are running out of peopl
u/SaltyPinKY
I'll take the 4 day work week and a budget plan over the pay raise and same hours
u/empire161
> If you can show them data that will increase their profits change will come. Business doesn’t give a crap about people who work for them.
You can show them data that paying workers more
u/aspiring_star
Shocking. More play and less work makes Jack a happier man.
u/Awsum07
Its the same way they also dont grasp that employees are most productive 60% of the shift. But we still have 8 hour shifts. In fact, when proposin' a 4 day work week, most employers, ive prop
u/Random54321random
"Gee, I wonder what will happen if we give people more money for working less!"
The world's most pointless study. If this is all it takes to get a PhD then maybe I should look into it.
u/tomfreeze6251
Redditors unfailingly jump to the conclusion that we should all less and get paid more. Of course. Who wouldn't go for that option? It's no wonder that employers are increasingly moving to
u/proflopper
While I don't disagree with the notion that a 4 day work week would be advantageous to those in roles that allow for that kind of flexibility. Millions of workers are in manufacturing or trad
u/bobsmeds
I think everyone is missing the real point here - suffering is good for the economy. Think of how much money is made off of people that are miserable and burnt out as a result of being stretc
u/ScarletWitchfanboy__
How was it even hard? „We can’t meet on Friday because our company is closed that day“ „okay let’s do Monday“
Doesn’t seem that hard it’s just a matter of will
u/DontRefuseMyBatchall
It is painful how true this line of thinking is.
“Well if everyone else is working 4 day weeks, then our competitive edge will come from out working the other companies…”
Literally could
u/DragonHalfFreelance
Exactly….. working from home showed similar benefits too! But they needed their slaves back in the office because how else would they keep control over everything?
u/Prae_
Profit is only one part of the equation. Money is a means to power, both for the institution and the people in it. Companies as a whole, C-suite, senior and middle management individually, ar
u/aspiring_star
Shocking. More play and less work makes Jack a happier man.
u/SteveDougson
> Using that 8 hours to sleep in, **catch up on chores**, do stuff at other 9-5 M-F businesses that you can't while working full time - then go into the friday evening and weekend with it
u/toobjunkey
Not in construction but i work a warehouse that needs to be available 364 days of the year to accommodate the semi carriers. My kneejerk response to these studies & articles is basically
u/DragonHalfFreelance
Exactly….. working from home showed similar benefits too! But they needed their slaves back in the office because how else would they keep control over everything?
u/DJSnafu
what a shocking result
u/Nate1492
You lose the benefit of the 4 day week -- That the extra rest day helps increase productivity.
All you're doing in this scenario is losing 1 day of work, while the worker is doing the exact
u/Brrdock
Some studies show it even improves overall productivity.
But it's not even about profits anymore, but probably about keeping the rabble busy and exhausted so they don't have the time and en
u/QuantumWarrior
From my experience working a 4 day week and taking the pay cut still results in a noticeable improvement, and I'm not even making the average UK full-time salary so it's not because I've got
u/1heart1totaleclipse
That’s wild. I’m sorry. That’s just stealing your life essentially.
u/AllanfromWales1
A 20% per hour payrise while retaining the same hours would also improve worker wellbeing and job satisfaction..
u/StrangeCharmVote
Sadly yes, exactly that.
u/StrangeCharmVote
> those benefits to the firm are what need to be harped on about if any large scale change is to become a realistic possibility
It's not actually relevant to most companies however, beca
u/-s-u-n-s-e-t-
Also, doing a temporary study and actually implementing policy long term can often yield very different results.
I can totally believe that giving people an extra day off can boost their pro
u/CollegeJunior8208
Who knew time off helps mental health.
u/Dannybuoy77
Money grabbing companies hate this one simple trick
u/aspiring_star
Shocking. More play and less work makes Jack a happier man.
u/Wutiswrongwu
If they continue,theyll get it,we already gathered millions as a protest for a train accident which theu tried to cover
u/Dannybuoy77
Money grabbing companies hate this one simple trick
u/balderdash9
Why does the four day work week have to mean everyone in the office works the same days. Some people can get Monday off while others get Friday off.
u/aleksandrjames
“They can do all that in four days? Imagine if they worked that hard for 5 days!”
u/Thatwhichcamebefore
Yeah, whenever I see one of these it always reads as a plee to further help the plight of the poor suffering white color class. Blue collar jobs are already struggling to fill positions and i
u/ummonadi
I worked reduced hours to spend more time becoming better at my job, and boosted my salary a lot.
The thing I discovered was that reduced hours rub powerful people the wrong way. In the end,
u/privatethingsxx
Not everyone has to have the same 4 day work week. Half could have Monday off, the others Friday. Or different days during the week. Some people might appreciate Wednesday off. At companies t
u/StrangeCharmVote
> there was a notable INCREASE in productivity.
I know not needing to travel that extra 2 hours of the day sure helps me do better office work (1h there, then back that is).
It also func
u/enaK66
And not just basic management. C-suite people are successful, but not necessarily intelligent, and often have a psychopathic hatred of laborers. These people will do things that cost them mor
u/FridgesArePeopleToo
"people who received $10,000 checks were happier than the control group who received nothing"
u/come-on-now-please
It can rub people the wrong way because all the sudden they realize that you're not some worker drone who would die for the company and "go above and beyond" aka work more for free or putting
u/mmf9194
Maybe they're struggling to fill those positions because the pay and benefits don't match the hard work
u/StrangeCharmVote
Hey, i get where you're coming from. But these companies demonstrably do not care about those metrics.
Look at Amazon for example, to my understanding they literally are running out of peopl
u/mvea
I’ve linked to the news release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-025-022
u/bobsmeds
I think everyone is missing the real point here - suffering is good for the economy. Think of how much money is made off of people that are miserable and burnt out as a result of being stretc
u/semechki3
Too bad companies are trying to get us to work more and not less. Would love to have a guaranteed 4-day workweek but the standard for full-time is still 5 days.
u/ThatLunchBox
Genuine questions here:
How do we know that people are actually more productive working 4 days a week versus 5 over the long term?
Is it not possible that the people who retain the producti
u/aleksandrjames
“They can do all that in four days? Imagine if they worked that hard for 5 days!”
u/fojam
so uhhh this article just 404s. Is anyone actually reading this stuff or are people just commenting on the headline?
u/-s-u-n-s-e-t-
Also, doing a temporary study and actually implementing policy long term can often yield very different results.
I can totally believe that giving people an extra day off can boost their pro
u/StrangeCharmVote
> there was a notable INCREASE in productivity.
I know not needing to travel that extra 2 hours of the day sure helps me do better office work (1h there, then back that is).
It also func
u/DragonHalfFreelance
Exactly….. working from home showed similar benefits too! But they needed their slaves back in the office because how else would they keep control over everything?
u/Interesting-Pin1433
Yeah a 2 day weekend just isn't enough.
I want 1 day to do chores/house projects. I want 1 day to do fun activities like hiking, hanging out with friends, etc. and I want 1 day to relax and
u/Thatwhichcamebefore
Yeah, whenever I see one of these it always reads as a plee to further help the plight of the poor suffering white color class. Blue collar jobs are already struggling to fill positions and i
u/Awsum07
Its the same way they also dont grasp that employees are most productive 60% of the shift. But we still have 8 hour shifts. In fact, when proposin' a 4 day work week, most employers, ive prop
u/Wutiswrongwu
In Greece the government (which is currently being investigated for many scandals) voted for 13 hours a day,6 days a week.theyre justifying it by saying that its voluntary,but no employee has
u/StrangeCharmVote
> those benefits to the firm are what need to be harped on about if any large scale change is to become a realistic possibility
It's not actually relevant to most companies however, beca
u/enaK66
And not just basic management. C-suite people are successful, but not necessarily intelligent, and often have a psychopathic hatred of laborers. These people will do things that cost them mor
u/c0reM
We trialed a 4-day workweek backfired spectacularly, but probably not for the reason you’d think.
We did 4-day with full time remote contractors. They started being exhausted at work. Guess
u/Snirbs
Maybe in family businesses but any major corp you do not go straight into management.
u/Thatwhichcamebefore
Yeah, whenever I see one of these it always reads as a plee to further help the plight of the poor suffering white color class. Blue collar jobs are already struggling to fill positions and i
u/NickEcommerce
Not to mention that the argument goes like this:
> **Manager:** Boss, this study shows that people produce as much or even **more** in a 4 day week than a 5 day one.
u/ScarletWitchfanboy__
How was it even hard? „We can’t meet on Friday because our company is closed that day“ „okay let’s do Monday“
Doesn’t seem that hard it’s just a matter of will
u/mmf9194
Maybe they're struggling to fill those positions because the pay and benefits don't match the hard work
u/Wutiswrongwu
If they continue,theyll get it,we already gathered millions as a protest for a train accident which theu tried to cover
u/1heart1totaleclipse
It makes sense. Having an entire extra day to rest or get things done is better than having an hour or two extra a day after you’ve been at work all day.
u/balderdash9
People literally had to die for us to win worker's rights. It takes solidarity and sacrifice. Solidarity has been intentionally diminished (unions, churches, etc.) and we are now too individu
u/No_Extension_6288
Considering their population decline, I imagine this is going to exacerbate the issue
u/chicharro_frito
Oh wow, this shouldn't be legal in the EU :O.
u/DevelopmentGrand4331
It’s also worth understanding that a lot of managers have never really had to build or accomplish anything. Often, success in management comes from doing some minor tweak that provides good
u/liqrfre
Absolute fantasy for the construction world unfortunately. We've been pushed into "mandatory" Saturdays for the next foreseeable future at my company, possibly some Sundays.
u/Snirbs
Maybe in family businesses but any major corp you do not go straight into management.
u/MIT_Engineer
> there was a notable INCREASE in productivity.
That's counter to what I read. Even on reddit there were plenty of stories saying how productivity went down.
u/DungeonsAndDradis
Most Fridays I almost do nothing. Maybe respond to one or two Teams messages, maybe respond or send two or three emails. I specifically told my team "No meetings on Friday".
u/StrangeCharmVote
> there was a notable INCREASE in productivity.
I know not needing to travel that extra 2 hours of the day sure helps me do better office work (1h there, then back that is).
It also func
u/MIT_Engineer
> there was a notable INCREASE in productivity.
That's counter to what I read. Even on reddit there were plenty of stories saying how productivity went down.
u/balderdash9
People literally had to die for us to win worker's rights. It takes solidarity and sacrifice. Solidarity has been intentionally diminished (unions, churches, etc.) and we are now too individu
u/StrangeCharmVote
> Guess what happened… They took on a second job.
You're right, i did not expect that to be the reason it backfired.
> Meanwhile we were paying way above local market with benefits.
u/1heart1totaleclipse
It makes sense. Having an entire extra day to rest or get things done is better than having an hour or two extra a day after you’ve been at work all day.
u/sluttytarot
In the USA the relevant decision makers aren't doing this and they know this info the point is to crush people with work and financial stress.
We need a strike there's a general strike effo
u/killerboy_belgium
productivity increase doesnt always mean profit increase.
for example a jobs where avaibility is key like a customer relations contact if there customer are happy they might have much work
u/Wraith11B
Sounds like it's time for the very laconian reply of "Molon Labe".
u/veryangryenglishman
Exactly - any muppet can point out that all but the most servile of employees would be happy to take an extra day off with no change in pay or extended hours to accommodate it on the working
u/keepin-it-sleezy
>employee companies had reorganized workflows to cut back on unnecessary tasks such as meetings, enabling employees to work 80% of their original hours for 100% of their pay. There was no
u/Tmnath
If this is a case study in "Do people read the articles?", it's a good one
u/[deleted]
[deleted]
u/Wraith11B
Sounds like it's time for the very laconian reply of "Molon Labe".
u/peas8carrots
*with no loss of pay
u/enaK66
And not just basic management. C-suite people are successful, but not necessarily intelligent, and often have a psychopathic hatred of laborers. These people will do things that cost them mor
u/Unraveller
Maybe the company deals in actual products, not just meetings?
"Hey, I need this item tomorrow, so we don't shut down production of Insulin?"
"Sorry, we are closed for the next 90 h
u/privatethingsxx
Not everyone has to have the same 4 day work week. Half could have Monday off, the others Friday. Or different days during the week. Some people might appreciate Wednesday off. At companies t
u/StrangeCharmVote
> those benefits to the firm are what need to be harped on about if any large scale change is to become a realistic possibility
It's not actually relevant to most companies however, beca
u/killerboy_belgium
problem is loads of job are not about constant productivity output but just being avaible
for example a service desk tasked to handle incoming incidents and calls dont need to be as product
u/Busch_League2
I work in construction, it's definitely not one of the industries that would increase productivity with fewer hours, if that were the case people would never work overtime, but they do freque
u/veryangryenglishman
>It's not actually relevant to most companies however, because they literally do not care about work satisfaction
Yes... That's why I wrote a whole comment pointing out that these studies
u/Worthyness
Which is what managers are supposed to do. Micromanaging just stresses people out and hurts the progress for the team and individuals. My managers have mostly all been in the trenches before.
u/Wutiswrongwu
If they continue,theyll get it,we already gathered millions as a protest for a train accident which theu tried to cover
u/DontRefuseMyBatchall
It is painful how true this line of thinking is.
“Well if everyone else is working 4 day weeks, then our competitive edge will come from out working the other companies…”
Literally could
u/empire161
> If you can show them data that will increase their profits change will come. Business doesn’t give a crap about people who work for them.
You can show them data that paying workers more
u/polypolip
I'll speak for myself here: yes, but probably not as much. It would make it easier to buy a house, but that's it. I earn enough for most of my needs, money is not really a problem, time for l
u/BaneSixEcho
Same here.
After the Covid lockdowns were lifted I went from the usual 5 days / 40 hours to 4/32 with the pay cut.
I was still able to afford my lifestyle, so that extra day off every week
u/Mr__Random
We have taken a factory production line template and applied it to literally everything. Starting at school, long before people even have a job.
Before this lots of jobs were essentially "on
u/theanih
Show or prove the heads on top how much they can benefit (money, time etc.) with a 4 days work week if we want things to change because they don't care about the employees. Did I understand t
u/ai9909
What they should care about is that where all this was put in practice during the last pandemic, there was a notable INCREASE in productivity.
But I suppose it may matter more to those who d
u/Dannybuoy77
Money grabbing companies hate this one simple trick
u/Brrdock
Some studies show it even improves overall productivity.
But it's not even about profits anymore, but probably about keeping the rabble busy and exhausted so they don't have the time and en
u/veryangryenglishman
Yes, it probably would to an extent, but less so than giving people more time off.
Somewhat anecdotal, but I think it's generally accepted that a lot of the highest paying jobs are intensely
u/veryangryenglishman
Yes, it probably would to an extent, but less so than giving people more time off.
Somewhat anecdotal, but I think it's generally accepted that a lot of the highest paying jobs are intensely
u/allofthethings
Although invoking Spartans in a labour dispute is a bit problematic given their relationship with the Helots.
u/peas8carrots
Well wow, can’t wait to see the results when they test a 3 day week!
u/rgtong
This is a self-evident conclusion. Its objectively better to work less hours for the same pay.
But employers dont care about that. If we actually want real change we need to provide relevant
u/Dannybuoy77
Money grabbing companies hate this one simple trick
u/ummonadi
I worked reduced hours to spend more time becoming better at my job, and boosted my salary a lot.
The thing I discovered was that reduced hours rub powerful people the wrong way. In the end,
u/allofthethings
Although invoking Spartans in a labour dispute is a bit problematic given their relationship with the Helots.
u/lzwzli
Not only that. If you work 4 day weeks and your customers don't, guess what, you don't work 4 day weeks.
u/Aiyon
My current manager started out as an engineer, and it really shows in how he interacts with us. He's hands off when we're doing our thing, but when we need steering or assistance, he's right
u/Few-Mood6580
I do 4/10 hour days to make up the difference. It would be nice to get home a little sooner but ultimately doesn’t make much of a difference, I end up not doing much for the 1 1/2 hour anyway
u/FridgesArePeopleToo
"people who received $10,000 checks were happier than the control group who received nothing"
u/DungeonsAndDradis
Most Fridays I almost do nothing. Maybe respond to one or two Teams messages, maybe respond or send two or three emails. I specifically told my team "No meetings on Friday".
u/DevelopmentGrand4331
It’s also worth understanding that a lot of managers have never really had to build or accomplish anything. Often, success in management comes from doing some minor tweak that provides good
u/ummonadi
I worked reduced hours to spend more time becoming better at my job, and boosted my salary a lot.
The thing I discovered was that reduced hours rub powerful people the wrong way. In the end,
u/kingsumo_1
Or, alternately (at least in tech), "so, what I'm hearing is there isn't enough work. Great! I'll cut 20% of the current staff and spread their workload around"
A lot of the same arguments c
u/Stratos_G
Θα τα φιαξ ο Μητσοτακ΄'ς
u/MIT_Engineer
> there was a notable INCREASE in productivity.
That's counter to what I read. Even on reddit there were plenty of stories saying how productivity went down.
u/FuckinBopsIsMyJob
Whoa whoa whoa - Are you trying to tell me the children *don't* yearn for the mines??
u/veryangryenglishman
Exactly - any muppet can point out that all but the most servile of employees would be happy to take an extra day off with no change in pay or extended hours to accommodate it on the working
u/Brrdock
Some studies show it even improves overall productivity.
But it's not even about profits anymore, but probably about keeping the rabble busy and exhausted so they don't have the time and en
u/Aiyon
My current manager started out as an engineer, and it really shows in how he interacts with us. He's hands off when we're doing our thing, but when we need steering or assistance, he's right
u/SaltyPinKY
I'll take the 4 day work week and a budget plan over the pay raise and same hours
u/AnxiousCount2367
Probably similar to why mine judges less and guides more – the control is not needed from his viewpoint
u/[deleted]
[deleted]
u/anobjectiveopinion
Yes but did it improve productivity? That's what employers will care about
u/barnfodder
It's worse than that.
Once they find out they can get 5 days of product from 4 days of work, they start to expect 6 days of product from 5.
u/[deleted]
[deleted]
u/AnxiousCount2367
Probably similar to why mine judges less and guides more – the control is not needed from his viewpoint
u/SimpleCranberry5914
This is what I don’t get. Just say “half gets Monday off and the other gets Friday” or hell mix in all day. “Hundred of you get Monday off, hundred of you get Tuesday off… etc”.
u/No_Word_Limit
I just wrote a book on this topic, it's being published by Harvard Business Review Press in January, and my coauthor and i are quite confident that we've effectively made the case and offered
u/MIT_Engineer
> there was a notable INCREASE in productivity.
That's counter to what I read. Even on reddit there were plenty of stories saying how productivity went down.
u/Thatwhichcamebefore
Yeah, whenever I see one of these it always reads as a plee to further help the plight of the poor suffering white color class. Blue collar jobs are already struggling to fill positions and i
u/breatheb4thevoid
Actionable insights? I don't think CEOs are going to analyze this is much as you like. Less people in production = less money made for the quarter. If you can remove headcount and maintain pr
u/veryangryenglishman
This is what really aggravates me about studies like this - there's already a growing body of data showing that where it's possible to implement the 4 day week, productivity remains strong or
u/Mr-Logic101
Overall productivity doesn’t actually mean much for a salary employee.
The goal of the business is to extract as much overall production as possible. Productivity is a rate which may be mor
u/Worthyness
Which is what managers are supposed to do. Micromanaging just stresses people out and hurts the progress for the team and individuals. My managers have mostly all been in the trenches before.
u/FuckinBopsIsMyJob
Whoa whoa whoa - Are you trying to tell me the children *don't* yearn for the mines??
u/DontRefuseMyBatchall
It is painful how true this line of thinking is.
“Well if everyone else is working 4 day weeks, then our competitive edge will come from out working the other companies…”
Literally could
u/Few-Mood6580
I do 4/10 hour days to make up the difference. It would be nice to get home a little sooner but ultimately doesn’t make much of a difference, I end up not doing much for the 1 1/2 hour anyway
u/Prae_
Profit is only one part of the equation. Money is a means to power, both for the institution and the people in it. Companies as a whole, C-suite, senior and middle management individually, ar
u/1heart1totaleclipse
That’s wild. I’m sorry. That’s just stealing your life essentially.
u/WTFwhatthehell
Sadly a non-trivial fraction of our "management class" are people who have genuinely never done real work.
Often they went to college, got a management degree and go straight into low level
u/Few-Mood6580
I do 4/10 hour days to make up the difference. It would be nice to get home a little sooner but ultimately doesn’t make much of a difference, I end up not doing much for the 1 1/2 hour anyway
u/DungeonsAndDradis
Most Fridays I almost do nothing. Maybe respond to one or two Teams messages, maybe respond or send two or three emails. I specifically told my team "No meetings on Friday".
u/privatethingsxx
Not everyone has to have the same 4 day work week. Half could have Monday off, the others Friday. Or different days during the week. Some people might appreciate Wednesday off. At companies t
u/greenhornblue
Not individuals and performance. You need to say profits. If you can show them data that will increase their profits change will come. Business doesn’t give a crap about people who work for t
u/enaK66
And not just basic management. C-suite people are successful, but not necessarily intelligent, and often have a psychopathic hatred of laborers. These people will do things that cost them mor
u/sluttytarot
In the USA the relevant decision makers aren't doing this and they know this info the point is to crush people with work and financial stress.
We need a strike there's a general strike effo
u/rjcarr
Yup, this is the proper mix. One thing seems to always get left out, and it's worse when you have kids.
u/veryangryenglishman
I think you're missing the point I'm making - and Amazon fulfillment centres are a kind of poor example anyway as they would fall under the category of jobs that can't really be done in a 4 d
u/veryangryenglishman
This is what really aggravates me about studies like this - there's already a growing body of data showing that where it's possible to implement the 4 day week, productivity remains strong or
u/QuantumWarrior
From my experience working a 4 day week and taking the pay cut still results in a noticeable improvement, and I'm not even making the average UK full-time salary so it's not because I've got
u/Mr-Logic101
So the last time I checked at my job, the only thing that actually matters is the overall output of the individual. Any employee “happinesses” perks are just an aside at best. Production effi
u/Some-Cat8789
Both the NewAtlas and Nature links are 404 for me.
u/Sad_Confection5902
What they should di instead is become an “efficiency expert” and offer no details.
“If you pay me $500,000 I can improve your workforce efficiency while simultaneously reducing overhead.
Ju
u/Unraveller
Maybe the company deals in actual products, not just meetings?
"Hey, I need this item tomorrow, so we don't shut down production of Insulin?"
"Sorry, we are closed for the next 90 h
u/mvea
I’ve linked to the news release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-025-02259-6
Fr
u/StrangeCharmVote
> there was a notable INCREASE in productivity.
I know not needing to travel that extra 2 hours of the day sure helps me do better office work (1h there, then back that is).
It also func
u/FridgesArePeopleToo
"people who received $10,000 checks were happier than the control group who received nothing"
u/SteveDougson
> Using that 8 hours to sleep in, **catch up on chores**, do stuff at other 9-5 M-F businesses that you can't while working full time - then go into the friday evening and weekend with it
u/FridgesArePeopleToo
"people who received $10,000 checks were happier than the control group who received nothing"
u/AllanfromWales1
Fair enough, but not everyone is in that situation. Plenty struggle to make ends meet.
u/ScarletWitchfanboy__
How was it even hard? „We can’t meet on Friday because our company is closed that day“ „okay let’s do Monday“
Doesn’t seem that hard it’s just a matter of will
u/veryangryenglishman
>It's not actually relevant to most companies however, because they literally do not care about work satisfaction
Yes... That's why I wrote a whole comment pointing out that these studies
u/semechki3
Too bad companies are trying to get us to work more and not less. Would love to have a guaranteed 4-day workweek but the standard for full-time is still 5 days.
u/Wutiswrongwu
Yes thats true.the thing is that they and their voters, hypocritically are concerned about the population decline,but keep having all this profit from all the overpriced goods and rentals.the
u/DragonHalfFreelance
Exactly….. working from home showed similar benefits too! But they needed their slaves back in the office because how else would they keep control over everything?
u/balderdash9
Why does the four day work week have to mean everyone in the office works the same days. Some people can get Monday off while others get Friday off.
u/Interesting-Pin1433
Yeah a 2 day weekend just isn't enough.
I want 1 day to do chores/house projects. I want 1 day to do fun activities like hiking, hanging out with friends, etc. and I want 1 day to relax and
u/StrangeCharmVote
> Most Fridays I almost do nothing. Maybe respond to one or two Teams messages, maybe respond or send two or three emails. I specifically told my team "No meetings on Friday".
Exactly, to
u/rgtong
This is a self-evident conclusion. Its objectively better to work less hours for the same pay.
But employers dont care about that. If we actually want real change we need to provide relevant
u/proflopper
While I don't disagree with the notion that a 4 day work week would be advantageous to those in roles that allow for that kind of flexibility. Millions of workers are in manufacturing or trad
u/CollegeJunior8208
Who knew time off helps mental health.
u/theanih
Show or prove the heads on top how much they can benefit (money, time etc.) with a 4 days work week if we want things to change because they don't care about the employees. Did I understand t
u/semechki3
Too bad companies are trying to get us to work more and not less. Would love to have a guaranteed 4-day workweek but the standard for full-time is still 5 days.
u/semechki3
Too bad companies are trying to get us to work more and not less. Would love to have a guaranteed 4-day workweek but the standard for full-time is still 5 days.
u/AnxiousCount2367
Probably similar to why mine judges less and guides more – the control is not needed from his viewpoint
u/Interesting-Pin1433
Yeah a 2 day weekend just isn't enough.
I want 1 day to do chores/house projects. I want 1 day to do fun activities like hiking, hanging out with friends, etc. and I want 1 day to relax and
u/privatethingsxx
Not everyone has to have the same 4 day work week. Half could have Monday off, the others Friday. Or different days during the week. Some people might appreciate Wednesday off. At companies t
u/Wraith11B
Sounds like it's time for the very laconian reply of "Molon Labe".
u/rjcarr
Yup, this is the proper mix. One thing seems to always get left out, and it's worse when you have kids.
u/privatethingsxx
Not everyone has to have the same 4 day work week. Half could have Monday off, the others Friday. Or different days during the week. Some people might appreciate Wednesday off. At companies t
u/peas8carrots
Well wow, can’t wait to see the results when they test a 3 day week!
u/anobjectiveopinion
Yes but did it improve productivity? That's what employers will care about
u/thatoneguy889
One thing I noticed in every comment section when a post about this kind of thing comes up is that nearly every commenter has an office job and takes zero consideration for things like machin
u/rgtong
No that would be worse. Profits are subject to market conditions, and a million other variables. Its better to isolate variables to get more actionable insights.
u/peas8carrots
Well wow, can’t wait to see the results when they test a 3 day week!
u/DragonHalfFreelance
Exactly….. working from home showed similar benefits too! But they needed their slaves back in the office because how else would they keep control over everything?
u/peas8carrots
Well wow, can’t wait to see the results when they test a 3 day week!
u/veryangryenglishman
>It's not actually relevant to most companies however, because they literally do not care about work satisfaction
Yes... That's why I wrote a whole comment pointing out that these studies
u/WTFwhatthehell
Sadly a non-trivial fraction of our "management class" are people who have genuinely never done real work.
Often they went to college, got a management degree and go straight into low level
u/DevelopmentGrand4331
It’s also worth understanding that a lot of managers have never really had to build or accomplish anything. Often, success in management comes from doing some minor tweak that provides good
u/veryangryenglishman
This is what really aggravates me about studies like this - there's already a growing body of data showing that where it's possible to implement the 4 day week, productivity remains strong or
u/Aiyon
My current manager started out as an engineer, and it really shows in how he interacts with us. He's hands off when we're doing our thing, but when we need steering or assistance, he's right
u/bobsmeds
I think everyone is missing the real point here - suffering is good for the economy. Think of how much money is made off of people that are miserable and burnt out as a result of being stretc
u/Nate1492
You lose the benefit of the 4 day week -- That the extra rest day helps increase productivity.
All you're doing in this scenario is losing 1 day of work, while the worker is doing the exact
u/DJSnafu
what a shocking result
u/chicharro_frito
Oh wow, this shouldn't be legal in the EU :O.
u/[deleted]
[deleted]
u/Unraveller
Maybe the company deals in actual products, not just meetings?
"Hey, I need this item tomorrow, so we don't shut down production of Insulin?"
"Sorry, we are closed for the next 90 h
u/polypolip
I'll speak for myself here: yes, but probably not as much. It would make it easier to buy a house, but that's it. I earn enough for most of my needs, money is not really a problem, time for l
u/AllanfromWales1
A 20% per hour payrise while retaining the same hours would also improve worker wellbeing and job satisfaction..
u/No_Word_Limit
I just wrote a book on this topic, it's being published by Harvard Business Review Press in January, and my coauthor and i are quite confident that we've effectively made the case and offered
u/Busch_League2
I work in construction, it's definitely not one of the industries that would increase productivity with fewer hours, if that were the case people would never work overtime, but they do freque
u/Some-Cat8789
Both the NewAtlas and Nature links are 404 for me.
u/Awsum07
Its the same way they also dont grasp that employees are most productive 60% of the shift. But we still have 8 hour shifts. In fact, when proposin' a 4 day work week, most employers, ive prop
u/CollegeJunior8208
Who knew time off helps mental health.
u/Sad_Confection5902
What they should di instead is become an “efficiency expert” and offer no details.
“If you pay me $500,000 I can improve your workforce efficiency while simultaneously reducing overhead.
Ju
u/fojam
so uhhh this article just 404s. Is anyone actually reading this stuff or are people just commenting on the headline?
u/polypolip
I know, hence the preface. Money is more valuable until you have your needs covered and then some safety net.
At middle class levels I would say having an extra day off is a big deal. Obvio
u/Mr__Random
We have taken a factory production line template and applied it to literally everything. Starting at school, long before people even have a job.
Before this lots of jobs were essentially "on
u/barnfodder
It's worse than that.
Once they find out they can get 5 days of product from 4 days of work, they start to expect 6 days of product from 5.
u/veryangryenglishman
I think you're missing the point I'm making - and Amazon fulfillment centres are a kind of poor example anyway as they would fall under the category of jobs that can't really be done in a 4 d
u/StrangeCharmVote
> I think you're missing the point I'm making
I'm not sure that i am. I'm sorry if it sounds that way.
> category of jobs that can't really be done in a 4 day week
...This is about t
u/Worldly_Software_868
I’m wholly convinced we didn’t need a “study” to come to this conclusion yet here we are.
u/QuantumWarrior
From my experience working a 4 day week and taking the pay cut still results in a noticeable improvement, and I'm not even making the average UK full-time salary so it's not because I've got
u/Wutiswrongwu
Yes thats true.the thing is that they and their voters, hypocritically are concerned about the population decline,but keep having all this profit from all the overpriced goods and rentals.the
u/BaconIsntThatGood
>This is what really aggravates me about studies like this - there's already a growing body of data showing that where it's possible to implement the 4 day week, productivity remains stron
u/paulsteinway
RTO mandates want to have a talk with you.
u/SimpleCranberry5914
This is what I don’t get. Just say “half gets Monday off and the other gets Friday” or hell mix in all day. “Hundred of you get Monday off, hundred of you get Tuesday off… etc”.
u/Wutiswrongwu
In Greece the government (which is currently being investigated for many scandals) voted for 13 hours a day,6 days a week.theyre justifying it by saying that its voluntary,but no employee has
u/Wutiswrongwu
Yes thats true.the thing is that they and their voters, hypocritically are concerned about the population decline,but keep having all this profit from all the overpriced goods and rentals.the
u/ThatLunchBox
Genuine questions here:
How do we know that people are actually more productive working 4 days a week versus 5 over the long term?
Is it not possible that the people who retain the producti
u/Tmnath
If this is a case study in "Do people read the articles?", it's a good one
u/breatheb4thevoid
Actionable insights? I don't think CEOs are going to analyze this is much as you like. Less people in production = less money made for the quarter. If you can remove headcount and maintain pr
u/NickEcommerce
Not to mention that the argument goes like this:
> **Manager:** Boss, this study shows that people produce as much or even **more** in a 4 day week than a 5 day one.
u/rgtong
This is a self-evident conclusion. Its objectively better to work less hours for the same pay.
But employers dont care about that. If we actually want real change we need to provide relevant
u/Wis3man_01
It's definitely true. I work 40 hours a week for 4 days, down from 48 hours a week for 5 days. And I can honestly say that my quality of life is much better.
u/StrangeCharmVote
> there was a notable INCREASE in productivity.
I know not needing to travel that extra 2 hours of the day sure helps me do better office work (1h there, then back that is).
It also func
u/cabbage16
The children yearn for the mines, that much is known. What they need is to be able to go to the mines on their own free time so they can actually enjoy the mines.
u/StrangeCharmVote
> Most Fridays I almost do nothing. Maybe respond to one or two Teams messages, maybe respond or send two or three emails. I specifically told my team "No meetings on Friday".
Exactly, to
u/liqrfre
Absolute fantasy for the construction world unfortunately. We've been pushed into "mandatory" Saturdays for the next foreseeable future at my company, possibly some Sundays.
u/Hapster23
Also, but I think the reduced time at work is the biggest contributor here. I work reduced hours and the fact that I have time to go to the gym after work, then still have time to cook, relax
u/DiscoBanane
It does per hour, but not in total.
It's only worth for the employers in some cases for raising quality of work. Already used in some high end restaurants/hotels, specialised industries, or
u/Snirbs
Maybe in family businesses but any major corp you do not go straight into management.
u/polypolip
I know, hence the preface. Money is more valuable until you have your needs covered and then some safety net.
At middle class levels I would say having an extra day off is a big deal. Obvio
u/kingsumo_1
Or, alternately (at least in tech), "so, what I'm hearing is there isn't enough work. Great! I'll cut 20% of the current staff and spread their workload around"
A lot of the same arguments c
u/barnfodder
It's worse than that.
Once they find out they can get 5 days of product from 4 days of work, they start to expect 6 days of product from 5.
u/theanih
Show or prove the heads on top how much they can benefit (money, time etc.) with a 4 days work week if we want things to change because they don't care about the employees. Did I understand t
u/theanih
Show or prove the heads on top how much they can benefit (money, time etc.) with a 4 days work week if we want things to change because they don't care about the employees. Did I understand t
u/balderdash9
Why does the four day work week have to mean everyone in the office works the same days. Some people can get Monday off while others get Friday off.
u/come-on-now-please
It can rub people the wrong way because all the sudden they realize that you're not some worker drone who would die for the company and "go above and beyond" aka work more for free or putting
u/StrangeCharmVote
> But they needed their slaves back in the office
Actually it wasn't to 'control everything' perse, it was so that millions of middle managers weren't fired.
Ironically, getting rid of
u/1heart1totaleclipse
That’s wild. I’m sorry. That’s just stealing your life essentially.
u/kingsumo_1
Or, alternately (at least in tech), "so, what I'm hearing is there isn't enough work. Great! I'll cut 20% of the current staff and spread their workload around"
A lot of the same arguments c
u/ummonadi
I worked reduced hours to spend more time becoming better at my job, and boosted my salary a lot.
The thing I discovered was that reduced hours rub powerful people the wrong way. In the end,
u/CollegeJunior8208
Who knew time off helps mental health.
u/anobjectiveopinion
Yes but did it improve productivity? That's what employers will care about
u/DJSnafu
what a shocking result
u/No_Extension_6288
Considering their population decline, I imagine this is going to exacerbate the issue
u/proflopper
While I don't disagree with the notion that a 4 day work week would be advantageous to those in roles that allow for that kind of flexibility. Millions of workers are in manufacturing or trad
u/Some-Cat8789
Both the NewAtlas and Nature links are 404 for me.
u/rgtong
No that would be worse. Profits are subject to market conditions, and a million other variables. Its better to isolate variables to get more actionable insights.
u/proflopper
While I don't disagree with the notion that a 4 day work week would be advantageous to those in roles that allow for that kind of flexibility. Millions of workers are in manufacturing or trad
u/kingsumo_1
Or, alternately (at least in tech), "so, what I'm hearing is there isn't enough work. Great! I'll cut 20% of the current staff and spread their workload around"
A lot of the same arguments c
u/Interesting-Pin1433
Yeah a 2 day weekend just isn't enough.
I want 1 day to do chores/house projects. I want 1 day to do fun activities like hiking, hanging out with friends, etc. and I want 1 day to relax and
u/Mr-Logic101
So the last time I checked at my job, the only thing that actually matters is the overall output of the individual. Any employee “happinesses” perks are just an aside at best. Production effi
u/toobjunkey
Not in construction but i work a warehouse that needs to be available 364 days of the year to accommodate the semi carriers. My kneejerk response to these studies & articles is basically
u/polypolip
I'll speak for myself here: yes, but probably not as much. It would make it easier to buy a house, but that's it. I earn enough for most of my needs, money is not really a problem, time for l
u/digitalbeef
That's the thing, no they wouldn't. I would gladly take a 20% pay cut for an extra day off.
u/StrangeCharmVote
Hey, i get where you're coming from. But these companies demonstrably do not care about those metrics.
Look at Amazon for example, to my understanding they literally are running out of peopl
u/StrangeCharmVote
> Guess what happened… They took on a second job.
You're right, i did not expect that to be the reason it backfired.
> Meanwhile we were paying way above local market with benefits.
u/Thatwhichcamebefore
Yeah, whenever I see one of these it always reads as a plee to further help the plight of the poor suffering white color class. Blue collar jobs are already struggling to fill positions and i
u/StrangeCharmVote
> Not only that. If you work 4 day weeks and your customers don't, guess what, you don't work 4 day weeks.
You do realise that *shifts* are a thing right?
Like, not every employee works
u/veryangryenglishman
Yes, it probably would to an extent, but less so than giving people more time off.
Somewhat anecdotal, but I think it's generally accepted that a lot of the highest paying jobs are intensely
u/sluttytarot
In the USA the relevant decision makers aren't doing this and they know this info the point is to crush people with work and financial stress.
We need a strike there's a general strike effo
u/dyblue1
We had this at my company. WFH and 4-day work week. They took it away because it was hard to manage client/partner meetings if the other companies are working 5 days. It has to be systematic,
u/-s-u-n-s-e-t-
Also, doing a temporary study and actually implementing policy long term can often yield very different results.
I can totally believe that giving people an extra day off can boost their pro
u/liqrfre
Absolute fantasy for the construction world unfortunately. We've been pushed into "mandatory" Saturdays for the next foreseeable future at my company, possibly some Sundays.
u/BaconIsntThatGood
>This is what really aggravates me about studies like this - there's already a growing body of data showing that where it's possible to implement the 4 day week, productivity remains stron
u/No_Extension_6288
Considering their population decline, I imagine this is going to exacerbate the issue
u/balderdash9
People literally had to die for us to win worker's rights. It takes solidarity and sacrifice. Solidarity has been intentionally diminished (unions, churches, etc.) and we are now too individu
u/ai9909
What they should care about is that where all this was put in practice during the last pandemic, there was a notable INCREASE in productivity.
But I suppose it may matter more to those who d
u/c0reM
We trialed a 4-day workweek backfired spectacularly, but probably not for the reason you’d think.
We did 4-day with full time remote contractors. They started being exhausted at work. Guess
u/veryangryenglishman
Yes, it probably would to an extent, but less so than giving people more time off.
Somewhat anecdotal, but I think it's generally accepted that a lot of the highest paying jobs are intensely
u/dyblue1
We had this at my company. WFH and 4-day work week. They took it away because it was hard to manage client/partner meetings if the other companies are working 5 days. It has to be systematic,
u/AnxiousCount2367
Probably similar to why mine judges less and guides more – the control is not needed from his viewpoint
u/semechki3
Too bad companies are trying to get us to work more and not less. Would love to have a guaranteed 4-day workweek but the standard for full-time is still 5 days.
u/SimpleCranberry5914
This is what I don’t get. Just say “half gets Monday off and the other gets Friday” or hell mix in all day. “Hundred of you get Monday off, hundred of you get Tuesday off… etc”.
u/1heart1totaleclipse
That’s wild. I’m sorry. That’s just stealing your life essentially.
u/Nate1492
You lose the benefit of the 4 day week -- That the extra rest day helps increase productivity.
All you're doing in this scenario is losing 1 day of work, while the worker is doing the exact
u/DontRefuseMyBatchall
It is painful how true this line of thinking is.
“Well if everyone else is working 4 day weeks, then our competitive edge will come from out working the other companies…”
Literally could
u/Wutiswrongwu
If they continue,theyll get it,we already gathered millions as a protest for a train accident which theu tried to cover
u/redyellowblue5031
~52 extra days off a year. That’s how I’ve always thought about it.
u/polypolip
I'll speak for myself here: yes, but probably not as much. It would make it easier to buy a house, but that's it. I earn enough for most of my needs, money is not really a problem, time for l
u/DungeonsAndDradis
Most Fridays I almost do nothing. Maybe respond to one or two Teams messages, maybe respond or send two or three emails. I specifically told my team "No meetings on Friday".
u/rgtong
No that would be worse. Profits are subject to market conditions, and a million other variables. Its better to isolate variables to get more actionable insights.
u/mvea
I’ve linked to the news release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-025-02259-6
Fr
u/balderdash9
People literally had to die for us to win worker's rights. It takes solidarity and sacrifice. Solidarity has been intentionally diminished (unions, churches, etc.) and we are now too individu
u/sluttytarot
In the USA the relevant decision makers aren't doing this and they know this info the point is to crush people with work and financial stress.
We need a strike there's a general strike effo
u/ummonadi
I worked reduced hours to spend more time becoming better at my job, and boosted my salary a lot.
The thing I discovered was that reduced hours rub powerful people the wrong way. In the end,
u/veryangryenglishman
I think you're missing the point I'm making - and Amazon fulfillment centres are a kind of poor example anyway as they would fall under the category of jobs that can't really be done in a 4 d
u/Tmnath
If this is a case study in "Do people read the articles?", it's a good one
u/StrangeCharmVote
Sadly yes, exactly that.
u/aleksandrjames
“They can do all that in four days? Imagine if they worked that hard for 5 days!”
u/Unraveller
Maybe the company deals in actual products, not just meetings?
"Hey, I need this item tomorrow, so we don't shut down production of Insulin?"
"Sorry, we are closed for the next 90 h
u/ThatLunchBox
Genuine questions here:
How do we know that people are actually more productive working 4 days a week versus 5 over the long term?
Is it not possible that the people who retain the producti
u/SimpleCranberry5914
This is what I don’t get. Just say “half gets Monday off and the other gets Friday” or hell mix in all day. “Hundred of you get Monday off, hundred of you get Tuesday off… etc”.
u/Prae_
Profit is only one part of the equation. Money is a means to power, both for the institution and the people in it. Companies as a whole, C-suite, senior and middle management individually, ar
u/DevelopmentGrand4331
It’s also worth understanding that a lot of managers have never really had to build or accomplish anything. Often, success in management comes from doing some minor tweak that provides good
u/come-on-now-please
It can rub people the wrong way because all the sudden they realize that you're not some worker drone who would die for the company and "go above and beyond" aka work more for free or putting
u/Tmnath
If this is a case study in "Do people read the articles?", it's a good one
u/Snirbs
Maybe in family businesses but any major corp you do not go straight into management.
u/liqrfre
Absolute fantasy for the construction world unfortunately. We've been pushed into "mandatory" Saturdays for the next foreseeable future at my company, possibly some Sundays.
u/allofthethings
Although invoking Spartans in a labour dispute is a bit problematic given their relationship with the Helots.
u/StrangeCharmVote
> Most Fridays I almost do nothing. Maybe respond to one or two Teams messages, maybe respond or send two or three emails. I specifically told my team "No meetings on Friday".
Exactly, to
u/veryangryenglishman
I think you're missing the point I'm making - and Amazon fulfillment centres are a kind of poor example anyway as they would fall under the category of jobs that can't really be done in a 4 d
u/killerboy_belgium
problem is loads of job are not about constant productivity output but just being avaible
for example a service desk tasked to handle incoming incidents and calls dont need to be as product
u/BaneSixEcho
Same here.
After the Covid lockdowns were lifted I went from the usual 5 days / 40 hours to 4/32 with the pay cut.
I was still able to afford my lifestyle, so that extra day off every week
u/cabbage16
The children yearn for the mines, that much is known. What they need is to be able to go to the mines on their own free time so they can actually enjoy the mines.
u/BaconIsntThatGood
>This is what really aggravates me about studies like this - there's already a growing body of data showing that where it's possible to implement the 4 day week, productivity remains stron
u/Sad_Confection5902
What they should di instead is become an “efficiency expert” and offer no details.
“If you pay me $500,000 I can improve your workforce efficiency while simultaneously reducing overhead.
Ju
u/liqrfre
Absolute fantasy for the construction world unfortunately. We've been pushed into "mandatory" Saturdays for the next foreseeable future at my company, possibly some Sundays.
u/killerboy_belgium
problem is loads of job are not about constant productivity output but just being avaible
for example a service desk tasked to handle incoming incidents and calls dont need to be as product
u/StrangeCharmVote
Sadly yes, exactly that.
u/rgtong
No that would be worse. Profits are subject to market conditions, and a million other variables. Its better to isolate variables to get more actionable insights.
u/1heart1totaleclipse
It makes sense. Having an entire extra day to rest or get things done is better than having an hour or two extra a day after you’ve been at work all day.
u/SteveDougson
> Using that 8 hours to sleep in, **catch up on chores**, do stuff at other 9-5 M-F businesses that you can't while working full time - then go into the friday evening and weekend with it
u/mmf9194
Maybe they're struggling to fill those positions because the pay and benefits don't match the hard work
u/c0reM
We trialed a 4-day workweek backfired spectacularly, but probably not for the reason you’d think.
We did 4-day with full time remote contractors. They started being exhausted at work. Guess
u/veryangryenglishman
>It's not actually relevant to most companies however, because they literally do not care about work satisfaction
Yes... That's why I wrote a whole comment pointing out that these studies
u/QuantumWarrior
From my experience working a 4 day week and taking the pay cut still results in a noticeable improvement, and I'm not even making the average UK full-time salary so it's not because I've got
u/AllanfromWales1
A 20% per hour payrise while retaining the same hours would also improve worker wellbeing and job satisfaction..
u/chicharro_frito
Oh wow, this shouldn't be legal in the EU :O.
u/Mr-Logic101
So the last time I checked at my job, the only thing that actually matters is the overall output of the individual. Any employee “happinesses” perks are just an aside at best. Production effi
u/peas8carrots
Well wow, can’t wait to see the results when they test a 3 day week!
u/Busch_League2
I work in construction, it's definitely not one of the industries that would increase productivity with fewer hours, if that were the case people would never work overtime, but they do freque
u/Redbiertje
It's not uncommon for employment contracts to not permit taking second jobs, right? At least here in the EU you're not just allowed to randomly get a second job because your employer has a re
u/Popisoda
I can't wait for a 30-second work week
u/barnfodder
It's worse than that.
Once they find out they can get 5 days of product from 4 days of work, they start to expect 6 days of product from 5.
u/DiscoBanane
It does per hour, but not in total.
It's only worth for the employers in some cases for raising quality of work. Already used in some high end restaurants/hotels, specialised industries, or
u/QuantumWarrior
From my experience working a 4 day week and taking the pay cut still results in a noticeable improvement, and I'm not even making the average UK full-time salary so it's not because I've got
u/veryangryenglishman
This is what really aggravates me about studies like this - there's already a growing body of data showing that where it's possible to implement the 4 day week, productivity remains strong or
u/Awsum07
Its the same way they also dont grasp that employees are most productive 60% of the shift. But we still have 8 hour shifts. In fact, when proposin' a 4 day work week, most employers, ive prop
u/No_Word_Limit
I just wrote a book on this topic, it's being published by Harvard Business Review Press in January, and my coauthor and i are quite confident that we've effectively made the case and offered
u/Wutiswrongwu
If they continue,theyll get it,we already gathered millions as a protest for a train accident which theu tried to cover
u/BaneSixEcho
Same here.
After the Covid lockdowns were lifted I went from the usual 5 days / 40 hours to 4/32 with the pay cut.
I was still able to afford my lifestyle, so that extra day off every week
u/greenhornblue
Not individuals and performance. You need to say profits. If you can show them data that will increase their profits change will come. Business doesn’t give a crap about people who work for t
u/Qvar
Do you think I plan my workers week thinking about how I'm going to generate business for McDonalds?
u/killerboy_belgium
problem is loads of job are not about constant productivity output but just being avaible
for example a service desk tasked to handle incoming incidents and calls dont need to be as product
u/[deleted]
[deleted]
u/BaneSixEcho
Same here.
After the Covid lockdowns were lifted I went from the usual 5 days / 40 hours to 4/32 with the pay cut.
I was still able to afford my lifestyle, so that extra day off every week
u/StrangeCharmVote
> those benefits to the firm are what need to be harped on about if any large scale change is to become a realistic possibility
It's not actually relevant to most companies however, beca
u/balderdash9
Why does the four day work week have to mean everyone in the office works the same days. Some people can get Monday off while others get Friday off.
u/balderdash9
Why does the four day work week have to mean everyone in the office works the same days. Some people can get Monday off while others get Friday off.
u/redyellowblue5031
~52 extra days off a year. That’s how I’ve always thought about it.
u/SimpleCranberry5914
This is what I don’t get. Just say “half gets Monday off and the other gets Friday” or hell mix in all day. “Hundred of you get Monday off, hundred of you get Tuesday off… etc”.
u/NickEcommerce
Not to mention that the argument goes like this:
> **Manager:** Boss, this study shows that people produce as much or even **more** in a 4 day week than a 5 day one.
u/c0reM
We trialed a 4-day workweek backfired spectacularly, but probably not for the reason you’d think.
We did 4-day with full time remote contractors. They started being exhausted at work. Guess
u/aspiring_star
Shocking. More play and less work makes Jack a happier man.
u/rgtong
This is a self-evident conclusion. Its objectively better to work less hours for the same pay.
But employers dont care about that. If we actually want real change we need to provide relevant
u/Worthyness
Which is what managers are supposed to do. Micromanaging just stresses people out and hurts the progress for the team and individuals. My managers have mostly all been in the trenches before.
u/come-on-now-please
It can rub people the wrong way because all the sudden they realize that you're not some worker drone who would die for the company and "go above and beyond" aka work more for free or putting
u/DiscoBanane
It does per hour, but not in total.
It's only worth for the employers in some cases for raising quality of work. Already used in some high end restaurants/hotels, specialised industries, or
u/AnxiousCount2367
Probably similar to why mine judges less and guides more – the control is not needed from his viewpoint
u/mvea
I’ve linked to the news release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-025-02259-6
Fr
u/rjcarr
Yup, this is the proper mix. One thing seems to always get left out, and it's worse when you have kids.
u/bobsmeds
I think everyone is missing the real point here - suffering is good for the economy. Think of how much money is made off of people that are miserable and burnt out as a result of being stretc
u/dyblue1
We had this at my company. WFH and 4-day work week. They took it away because it was hard to manage client/partner meetings if the other companies are working 5 days. It has to be systematic,
u/greenhornblue
Not individuals and performance. You need to say profits. If you can show them data that will increase their profits change will come. Business doesn’t give a crap about people who work for t
u/redyellowblue5031
~52 extra days off a year. That’s how I’ve always thought about it.
u/StrangeCharmVote
> Most Fridays I almost do nothing. Maybe respond to one or two Teams messages, maybe respond or send two or three emails. I specifically told my team "No meetings on Friday".
Exactly, to
u/breatheb4thevoid
Actionable insights? I don't think CEOs are going to analyze this is much as you like. Less people in production = less money made for the quarter. If you can remove headcount and maintain pr
u/StrangeCharmVote
Hey, i get where you're coming from. But these companies demonstrably do not care about those metrics.
Look at Amazon for example, to my understanding they literally are running out of peopl
u/polypolip
I'll speak for myself here: yes, but probably not as much. It would make it easier to buy a house, but that's it. I earn enough for most of my needs, money is not really a problem, time for l
u/Sad_Confection5902
What they should di instead is become an “efficiency expert” and offer no details.
“If you pay me $500,000 I can improve your workforce efficiency while simultaneously reducing overhead.
Ju
u/[deleted]
[deleted]
u/Brrdock
Some studies show it even improves overall productivity.
But it's not even about profits anymore, but probably about keeping the rabble busy and exhausted so they don't have the time and en
u/greenhornblue
Not individuals and performance. You need to say profits. If you can show them data that will increase their profits change will come. Business doesn’t give a crap about people who work for t
u/empire161
> If you can show them data that will increase their profits change will come. Business doesn’t give a crap about people who work for them.
You can show them data that paying workers more
u/Aiyon
My current manager started out as an engineer, and it really shows in how he interacts with us. He's hands off when we're doing our thing, but when we need steering or assistance, he's right
u/Thatwhichcamebefore
Depends on the position and part of the country. The trades have had worker shortages for a generation and they pay well above median income. The issue is they require significant training an
u/Busch_League2
I work in construction, it's definitely not one of the industries that would increase productivity with fewer hours, if that were the case people would never work overtime, but they do freque
u/rjcarr
Yup, this is the proper mix. One thing seems to always get left out, and it's worse when you have kids.
u/mvea
I’ve linked to the news release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-025-02259-6
Fr
u/StrangeCharmVote
> Guess what happened… They took on a second job.
You're right, i did not expect that to be the reason it backfired.
> Meanwhile we were paying way above local market with benefits.
u/WTFwhatthehell
Sadly a non-trivial fraction of our "management class" are people who have genuinely never done real work.
Often they went to college, got a management degree and go straight into low level
u/allofthethings
Although invoking Spartans in a labour dispute is a bit problematic given their relationship with the Helots.
u/WTFwhatthehell
Sadly a non-trivial fraction of our "management class" are people who have genuinely never done real work.
Often they went to college, got a management degree and go straight into low level
u/rgtong
This is a self-evident conclusion. Its objectively better to work less hours for the same pay.
But employers dont care about that. If we actually want real change we need to provide relevant
u/Mr__Random
We have taken a factory production line template and applied it to literally everything. Starting at school, long before people even have a job.
Before this lots of jobs were essentially "on
u/Awsum07
Its the same way they also dont grasp that employees are most productive 60% of the shift. But we still have 8 hour shifts. In fact, when proposin' a 4 day work week, most employers, ive prop
u/DJSnafu
what a shocking result
u/No_Extension_6288
Considering their population decline, I imagine this is going to exacerbate the issue
u/StrangeCharmVote
> Guess what happened… They took on a second job.
You're right, i did not expect that to be the reason it backfired.
> Meanwhile we were paying way above local market with benefits.
u/SaltyPinKY
I'll take the 4 day work week and a budget plan over the pay raise and same hours
u/dyblue1
We had this at my company. WFH and 4-day work week. They took it away because it was hard to manage client/partner meetings if the other companies are working 5 days. It has to be systematic,
u/breatheb4thevoid
Actionable insights? I don't think CEOs are going to analyze this is much as you like. Less people in production = less money made for the quarter. If you can remove headcount and maintain pr
u/empire161
> If you can show them data that will increase their profits change will come. Business doesn’t give a crap about people who work for them.
You can show them data that paying workers more
u/No_Word_Limit
I just wrote a book on this topic, it's being published by Harvard Business Review Press in January, and my coauthor and i are quite confident that we've effectively made the case and offered
u/1heart1totaleclipse
It makes sense. Having an entire extra day to rest or get things done is better than having an hour or two extra a day after you’ve been at work all day.
u/1heart1totaleclipse
It makes sense. Having an entire extra day to rest or get things done is better than having an hour or two extra a day after you’ve been at work all day.
u/Interesting-Pin1433
Yeah a 2 day weekend just isn't enough.
I want 1 day to do chores/house projects. I want 1 day to do fun activities like hiking, hanging out with friends, etc. and I want 1 day to relax and
u/redyellowblue5031
~52 extra days off a year. That’s how I’ve always thought about it.
u/breatheb4thevoid
Actionable insights? I don't think CEOs are going to analyze this is much as you like. Less people in production = less money made for the quarter. If you can remove headcount and maintain pr
u/MIT_Engineer
> That’s not the question the billionaire owner class cares about so that question is moot.
What do you mean it's not what they care about. It's exactly what they care about. If product
u/Wutiswrongwu
In Greece the government (which is currently being investigated for many scandals) voted for 13 hours a day,6 days a week.theyre justifying it by saying that its voluntary,but no employee has
u/FuckinBopsIsMyJob
Whoa whoa whoa - Are you trying to tell me the children *don't* yearn for the mines??
u/veryangryenglishman
This is what really aggravates me about studies like this - there's already a growing body of data showing that where it's possible to implement the 4 day week, productivity remains strong or
u/ai9909
What they should care about is that where all this was put in practice during the last pandemic, there was a notable INCREASE in productivity.
But I suppose it may matter more to those who d
u/Worthyness
Which is what managers are supposed to do. Micromanaging just stresses people out and hurts the progress for the team and individuals. My managers have mostly all been in the trenches before.
u/SaltyPinKY
I'll take the 4 day work week and a budget plan over the pay raise and same hours
u/Some-Cat8789
Both the NewAtlas and Nature links are 404 for me.
u/StrangeCharmVote
> Most Fridays I almost do nothing. Maybe respond to one or two Teams messages, maybe respond or send two or three emails. I specifically told my team "No meetings on Friday".
Exactly, to
u/[deleted]
[deleted]
u/cabbage16
The children yearn for the mines, that much is known. What they need is to be able to go to the mines on their own free time so they can actually enjoy the mines.
u/greenhornblue
Not individuals and performance. You need to say profits. If you can show them data that will increase their profits change will come. Business doesn’t give a crap about people who work for t
u/veryangryenglishman
Yes, it probably would to an extent, but less so than giving people more time off.
Somewhat anecdotal, but I think it's generally accepted that a lot of the highest paying jobs are intensely
u/rgtong
No that would be worse. Profits are subject to market conditions, and a million other variables. Its better to isolate variables to get more actionable insights.
u/mmf9194
Maybe they're struggling to fill those positions because the pay and benefits don't match the hard work
u/MIT_Engineer
> there was a notable INCREASE in productivity.
That's counter to what I read. Even on reddit there were plenty of stories saying how productivity went down.
u/aspiring_star
Shocking. More play and less work makes Jack a happier man.
u/killerboy_belgium
problem is loads of job are not about constant productivity output but just being avaible
for example a service desk tasked to handle incoming incidents and calls dont need to be as product
u/FuckinBopsIsMyJob
Whoa whoa whoa - Are you trying to tell me the children *don't* yearn for the mines??
u/DungeonsAndDradis
Most Fridays I almost do nothing. Maybe respond to one or two Teams messages, maybe respond or send two or three emails. I specifically told my team "No meetings on Friday".
u/StrangeCharmVote
> those benefits to the firm are what need to be harped on about if any large scale change is to become a realistic possibility
It's not actually relevant to most companies however, beca
u/dyblue1
We had this at my company. WFH and 4-day work week. They took it away because it was hard to manage client/partner meetings if the other companies are working 5 days. It has to be systematic,