Think about how much you love long weekends. Four days of working, three days of rest. For many of us, we are happier and more relaxed these weeks. Now, imagine if you can have a 4 day work week every single week. Well if you live in Iceland, they tried this to see if it would work. The results revealed that it was an overwhelming success.
Iceland’s 4 Day Work Week A Massive Success
Between 2015 and 2019, the Icelandic government trialed having workers work four days per week instead of five, for the same pay. The trial was an overwhelming success. The researchers say that in the majority of workplaces, productivity either stayed the same or improved.
The trial involved about one percent of Iceland’s working population, including more than 2,500 people. Workplaces involved included preschools, offices, social service providers, and hospitals. Researchers say that many of these companies moved from a 40-hour workweek to 35 or 36 hour weeks.
Worker Reports
The workers involved in the trial reported that they felt less stressed and less like they would burn out. They said that their health and their balance between work and the other parts of their life had greatly improved. Workers reported having more time to spend with their families, complete necessary chores, and do more of the activities they enjoy doing.
“This [reduction in hours] shows increased respect for the individual. That we are not just machines that just work … all day. Then sleep and get back to work. [But that] we are persons with desires and private lives, families, and hobbies,” said one participant.
The results, of course, speak for themselves. They prove that contrary to what many, more old-school thinkers believe, it is possible to get more out of working less. Perhaps, work-life balance isn’t as hard to achieve as we all thought it to be.
“The Icelandic shorter working week journey tells us that not only is it possible to work less in modern times but that progressive change is possible too.” said researcher Gudmundur Haraldsson.
New Negotiations Happening
The success of the trials led to unions renegotiating working patterns for their members. Now, more than 86% of Iceland’s workforce have either moved to shorter working hours for equal pay or will soon have the right to.
“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,” said Will Stronge, research director. “It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks – and lessons can be learned for other governments.”
Other countries are trying out similar ideas. Spain is starting a 4 day work week trial, and Unilever in New Zealand is also experimenting with shorter work weeks.
The Draw Backs
Of course, as with everything, some people have concerns. While this may work well in some sectors, there is a concern for hourly workers in lower-paid positions. These groups would likely lose income and are often not included in these conversations. Last year, Harvard Kennedy School professor Daniel Schneider who studies transformations in work spoke about this.
“Very often when we think about life conflict and overwork, we have a vision of white-collar workers in mind,” they explained.
Of course, Iceland is a small, relatively wealthy country. How this would look in larger countries with more wealth disparity as well as those who experience much higher poverty rates, is yet to be determined. It will be up to individual countries and regions to experiment with this for themselves to determine what is best for their citizens and their economy.