Iceland's 4-day work week initiative has proven to have an 'overwhelming success' as workers report an improvement in their quality of life and an increase in job satisfaction.
According to the BBC, the trial had been taking place in Reykjavic between 2015 and 2019 and involved 2,500 individuals working in the public sector, specifically in social services, hospitals and schools. The shift included a reduction from a 40-hour work week schedule to a 35-36 hours.
The workers involved have reported a significant reduction in work-related burnout and stress. One of the reasons is that they had more free time available to spend with their families or to pursue activities they enjoy outside the workplace, such as hobbies.
Researchers said:
"These effects were profound, and the trials were unsurprisingly popular among both staff and managers. Importantly, the widespread benefits on physical and psychological health, which we have seen here described by the trials' participants, were sustained over the trials' long timespan."
The trials have also been used by unions to pursue new and improved employment agreements. These resulted in over 86% of Icelandic workers working fewer hours without seeing a reduction in their salary or obtaining the right to do so in the future.
Will Stronge, director of research at UK's think tank Autonomy, said:
"This study shows that the world's largest-ever trial of a shorter working week in the public sector was by all measures an overwhelming success. It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks — and lessons can be learned for other governments."
[Based on reporting by: The Mind Unleashed]
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