You know the feeling. One minute you’re counting down the hours before 5pm Friday, then you blink and it’s 7am on a rainy Monday.
But what if Monday was a duvet day too? What if, instead of working the average five-day week, it was universally accepted that we should only work four?
If scientists had their way, this would already be the case. Here’s why:
We’d be more productive: When researchers asked a Boston company to force employees on certain teams to take a day off midweek, the exercise produced some surprising results. At the end of the five-month trial period, output had actually increased and mistakes had decreased compared to teams who had continued to work the usual workweek.
We’d be healthier: Recent studies show that people who work more than 55 hours per week are a whopping 33 per cent more likely to have a stroke and 13 per cent more likely to develop heart disease than those who work 40 hours or less.
We’d waste less time: The average office worker spends 31 hours in unproductive meetings every month and considers half of all the meetings they attend to be time wasted. Agreeing (and sticking to) a tight plan for a shorter but more productive meeting means the time is better spent and everyone benefits.
We’d be better rested: According to a report published in the journal Sleep, people who worked less than 40 hours per week found it easier to drop off at night and were more likely to wake up feeling refreshed.
Does your boss believe in the four-day work week? Would you try this on a trial basis with your own employees? Let us know on Twitter @HerFamilydotie.
