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IRELAND’S FIRST COORDINATED reduced worktime trial showed that most companies involved in the trial opted to continue the four-day work week longterm, after high levels of satisfaction were reported by staff.
The project, backed by Fórsa and carried out in partnership by Four-Day Week Ireland, University College Dublin (UCD), and Boston College, examined the financial, social, and environmental impact that a four-day working week would have on businesses and employees in Ireland.
It said that the project showed 100% of employees would like to continue a reduced work schedule and significant improvements were recorded across a wide range of well-being metrics, including positive affect, work-family balance and work-life balance.
Stress, burnout, fatigue, and work-family conflict significantly declined and employees’ average sleep time increased from 7.02 hours a night to 7.72 hours.
Management were also pleased with the outcome of the trial; in terms of productivity, and overall experience. On a scale of 1-10 the companies’ average rating for the trial was 9.2.
All of the 12 participating companies are planning to continue with the four-day week schedule, although three have not committed to the plan on a long-term basis.
A non-profit, a manufacturing company, a recruiting agency, an engineering firm and an IT service provider were among the companies that took part.
Four organisations tracked productivity metrics, and all observed improvements while two companies that tracked energy usage recorded reductions during the duration of the trial.
Out of seven companies that made their revenue data available for researchers, six reported growth in revenue, while one had lost revenue.
The trial was particularly successful for female employees.
They reported a significantly greater improvement in life satisfaction, had larger gains in sleep time, and reported feeling more secure in their employment.
The research will be presented by UCD’s Dr Orla Kelly at the Dublin Chamber of Commerce at 11.30am today, with Professor Juliet Schor of Boston College providing a global overview of the pilot programme’s progress.
Speaking ahead of the launch event, Dr Orla Kelly said that the research can provide key learnings and lessons into the future of work in Ireland: “We are pleased to release the results of Ireland’s first coordinated reduced worktime trial.
“All participating organisations plan to continue the reduced work schedule. Productivity levels are up. We found significant improvements across a wide range of well-being metrics, including positive affect, work-family and work-life balance. Levels of sleep deprivation have also fallen dramatically. We observed an increase across three forms of pro-environmental behaviour.”
General Secretary of Fórsa, Kevin Callinan also welcomed the research and highlighted the potential for a better future for workers: “The four-day-week is an example of how a concept that many have questioned, can genuinely improve the future for workers. The research presented today highlights the need for a more balanced work-life schedule.
“In today’s working world there’s a mismatch between the amount of time we spend working and the time we spend with our families and friends. The four-day week can be at the forefront of a new age of work, providing transformative social benefits without losing pay or productivity”, said Kevin.
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I think it’s a great idea. Anything that can help improve peoples quality of life can only be a good thing.
@Derek Lyster: I am not sure my quality of life would improve with a 20% reduction in pay..I already take any overtime that is going..
@Roger Bond: where did you read that there was a reduction in pay?
@Roger Bond: “Out of seven companies that made their revenue data available for researchers, six reported growth in revenue, while one had lost revenue. ” … why would there be a reduction in pay? If anything, employees should have received a pay rise for increasing the revenue on average.
@Roger Bond: what reduction in pay?
Anyone with a half decent education and a functioning brain already knows a 4 day work week is far superior to what we have. We don’t have a work-life balance at the moment. People don’t have any spare time, which is why adults lose contact with friends and oftentimes even family. Many parents have zero time for their children with their busy work schedule and the kids grow up around back to back nannies.
People have mental health issues, physical health, and other ailments. Why not make the woroing week inclusive to everyone. Most studies show people lose their productivity if they’re burnt out working all week. The 2 day weekend is only used to do chores we didn’t have time to do during the week. It’s time to stop being a slave for the top 1% and actually start living our lives.
4 Day School Week, School is now 9-5 not 9-3 and only from Monday to Thursday. If it were up to me at the very least 1 of those hours should be for Physical Education everyday day.
@David Mc Cabe: on the face of it is say an 8hr day for kids is too much but like you suggest if the extra time was for PE or art, music, something other than more standard book learning then it might work.
@bazhealy: Kids have always done an 8 hour day and beyond when you factor in homework and study time.
@David Mc Cabe: Many schools don’t have sporting facilities to run PE as it is. Many spend PE in a classroom
Still can’t get anybody to explain to me how a 4 day week will work with teachers.
@sean o’dhubhghaill: it’s balanced out by shorter days, Easter, Christmas and three months off during the summer so I think they’ll be fine
@sean o’dhubhghaill: why should it have to work for teachers?
@sean o’dhubhghaill: In France there is no school on wednesday. Kids do their sports and other activities, but the other days school finish at 5pm.
@sean o’dhubhghaill: Maybe by just having schools, colleges etc for four days.
@sean o’dhubhghaill: it wont.
And a teacher job is handy enough already even monday to friday. Cop on buddy
@sean o’dhubhghaill: well so long as your teaching from 7am to 17:30pm, I suppose you could.
@transik: handy enough!! Good man. Step in for a while and see how handy it is. Schools would have to adopt a 4 day week as well due to the fact that there would be very little attendance. If the general public are on the move they are not going to leave the kids behind. The whole idea is so that parents can spend more time minding and bonding with their children. Yea?
@transik: “Handy”? Jesus man, what fairytale world do you live in? Have you looked outside the window lately to see what modern society looks like? The socioeconomic, cultural, and linguistic differences alone amongst a class of 25 kids are enough to make your head spin …and that’s before you open a book …and then there’s the parents to deal with …oh the parents!
@Niall Gannon: it is handy, and only someone that came straight out of college and into a teaching job never having done anything else would say otherwise.
@Owen O’Murchú: Funny how many ex-teachers went into politics so. You would imagine they would have kept the handy job. I’ve only ever taught adults and even that can be stressful at times. You obviously don’t see all the preparation work that goes on throughout the day and evenings to keep up.
Utter baloney… only 4 of the 12 tracked productivity metrics.. more headline grabbing twaddle which will get 5 mins of air time on radio..while people go…”wouldn’t that be great!”. Let’s see who will reduce their hours by 20% while economy has 9.2% inflation…..safe space academic nonsense I tells ya! Row harder I says!!
@easilyfrustrateddad: clown.
We’re currently in week 5 of our trial of the 4-day system, and we work the same number of hours, but over 4 days instead of 5. You don’t just lop off Fridays and carry on as before. So far so good. Productivity is marginally up so far.
@John Moylan: so you went with the 10 hour days? There are two models that seem to get trialled. You have the 32 hour week, four days, same pay as 5 and then 40 hour week, four days, same pay. I’m not sure everyone would be in favour of the 10 hour day. Sure you get a three day weekend but then you have a childcare (if you have kids) problem.
@John Moylan: why are you SO angry John??? Are you ok? In the head?
@easilyfrustrateddad: Row your own boat lad…far far away!
@Damien Leen: I have sweat shop employees to do that for me thank you very much!!!
@easilyfrustrateddad: Why are you so angry that people don’t want to spend the majority of their life at work?
The five day week is a relic of the past. It is the top 1%’s way of ensuring that we remain consumers and not producers in the economy. This means is instead of writing books, starting companies, becoming an entrepreneur, doing art, learning languages, etc. (things that would actually benefit society), we only have the energy and will to be consumers of food, entertainment, media, etc. Despite worker productivity always increasing and being orders of magnitude higher than 2,3 or 4 decades ago, our real wages continue to decrease and our living costs continue to increase.
The four day work week would not change the world forever or destabilise the economy in any way.
That will work well for the children’s hospital!!!
@Declan quinn: it’s called shifts Declan. Not everyone works 9 to 5.
Just wondering, but for those who are thinking its a good idea, you do realise that it is 4 days of 10 hours as opposed to 5 days of 8 hours and if you want to do some overtime…could take you to 12 hours.
Reason I’m saying it is because it seems only to be the number of days worked is reduced, not the number of hours.
@Joe_X: I’ve done that while contracting in the 80s. It generally works out fine. You might need to brush up on handovers, but with communication it does work smoothly.
A 3 day week would be better than a 4 day week..we should do everything to improve the quality of life for people. The pay reduction would not be a problem..
A bit rough asking the Dail to work an extra three days.
Elon tried that it didn’t add up.
have your say