Cutting one day from the working week could soon be a reality for millions more Aussies, and it’s not just about having an extra day off.
Extending the weekend could be the recipe for improving employee health and the secret sauce to boost business productivity.
A large-scale, peer-reviewed study has found that a four-day working week could reduce employee burnout and improve job satisfaction.
Reducing Work Hours, Improving Performance
The research, which involved more than 500 Australian and New Zealand employees, found that working fewer hours improved their workplace performance.
The study, published in the Nature Human Behaviour journal, involved 141 companies testing four-day working weeks with no reduction in employee pay.
The companies prepared for the trial by reorganising their operations and eliminating low-value activities, such as unnecessary meetings, for two months, before reducing workers’ hours.
Workers Less Likely to Suffer Burnout
Researchers found that workers who spent fewer hours at work were less likely to suffer burnout, had a higher rate of job satisfaction, and better mental and physical health.
The study found that reducing work hours also improved performance and productivity, due to lower levels of fatigue and fewer sleeping problems.
Flexible Working Arrangements Deliver Similar Benefits
According to University of Otago academic Paula O’Kane, the study provided more evidence that boosting productivity does not necessarily mean boosting workloads.
Traditionally, time spent working is used as a proxy for productivity, when in fact, better-rested and healthier people can be more productive in less time.
The findings come as the federal government prepares to hold its Economic Reform Roundtable in Canberra to investigate ways to boost Australia’s productivity and create a more sustainable, resilient economy.