New results from a wide-scale UK trial are promising for employees as well as their bosses.
The world may be one step closer to embracing a shorter workweek, as the results of a UK-based study the largest trial of the sort to date, featuring 61 companies and approximately 2,900 workers highlight the overwhelmingly positive benefits of reduced work hours. The resounding conclusion: Shorter workweeks are better for employees and their employers.
Some of the pilot’s key findings(Opens in a new tab) include reduced employee burnout, decreased levels of anxiety and fatigue, and a majority of participating employees finding that balancing work, family, and social obligations became much easier all contributing to a 35 percent increase in productivity overall. The results(Opens in a new tab) also documented an impact on gender parity in household divisions of labor among participants, as men reported a 27 percent increase in time dedicated to childcare more than double the 13 percent increase reported by women participants.
Another important detail for companies to consider is that none of the participating employers reported losing revenue. On average, participants witnessed a 1.4 percent increase, over the trial period, as well as a 35 percent revenue increase when compared to a similar period from previous years. Only a few companies found the need to hire more workers to fill in gaps under this model, and most saw a decrease in attrition among employees, with staff departures reduced by 57 percent over the trial period.
The vast majority of participating companies (92 percent) have since committed to continuing the shortened hours, and 18 of the 61 participating companies have already made the permanent change to their standard schedules.