Do four-day weeks improve workers' mental health?

Full-time workers’ rights to request a four-day week could become a reality under government plans to increase flexible working.

Since April, employees have already had the right to ask for flexible working as soon as they start a job. But now, it may be harder for employers to reject requests to compress their hours into a shorter week.

Four-day weeks have long been hailed as a way to address the UK’s burnout crisis among workers. Experts warn employee workloads – and their stress levels – are being pushed beyond what is manageable because of the economic climate.

According to the Telus’s Mental Health Index, 44% of workers feel mentally and physically exhausted at the end of a day. As a result, one in five UK workers needed to take time off in the past year due to poor mental health caused by pressure or stress.

Shorter working week can address stress

A shorter working week could go some way to addressing the problem. A three-day weekend could mean a better work-life balance, more time to decompress from the working week, and less money spent on childcare. It also sends workers the message that their efforts and contributions are valued.

Dr Daniel Shore, co-founder and social behavioural scientist at MultiTeam Solutions, says a four-day week helps give workers more autonomy and choice over how they work, which is known to benefit mental health.

“Choice is most clearly provided by employees choosing how to spend their extra time off each week,” says Shore. “Within an organisation's operations, employees could have the option of saying which day of the week they take off and how they restructure their tasks and goals to fit their adapted schedule. This would have positive benefits.”

Last year, the world’s largest trial of a four-day week came to an end with positive results. More than 2,900 people across 61 companies took part in the six-month trial, which saw companies agree to give workers an extra day off with no cut to pay.

The research was carried out by a team of social scientists from the University of Cambridge, working with academics from Boston College in the US and the think tank Autonomy. Of the employees who took part, 71% reported lower levels of burnout, and 39% said they were less stressed, compared to the start of the trial.

There was also a 65% reduction in sick days and better retention of staff members. And crucially, company revenue barely changed during the trial period. In fact, for the 23 organisations able to provide data, it slightly increased.

Shore also suggests that shorter weeks could be a confidence boost, too. “If an employee is getting the same amount of work done in less time, it could increase their sense of competence,” he says. “On the other hand, if they are struggling to get work done in a compressed work schedule then this would serve as a potential con of the four-day week format.”

Difference in calls for four-day week

However, the government’s proposals aren’t the same as those set out by the official Four Day Week Campaign, which calls for the same pay for fewer hours. Rather, workers would still do the same amount of hours across fewer days. For example, by working 10-hour shifts over four days.

“Overall, where expectations are adjusted and an employee's expected productivity is proportional to a four-day week, it would very likely decrease one's stress,” says Shore. “However, there are a variety of factors to consider regarding stress levels.

“For example, if management expects the same output from a four-day week as they would from a five-day week, then that would likely diminish one's sense of competence in being able to maintain that level of productivity,” he explains.

“Another example, for shift-work industries, is that when employees must cover for their colleagues who are on their day off there might be less choice around the work they do. This in turn could lead to less motivation and greater levels of stress.”

And if employees have to work more hours on their four workdays or do overtime to get their work done, it may well increase their stress levels – and negate any mental health benefits.

How to make a four-day week work

If employers want to offer workers a four-day week – and reap the benefits – there are several ways to make it work. Firstly, it’s important to talk to people about what they want or need in terms of flexibility and to avoid making assumptions.

“Involve employees in conversations around how expectations are going to shift and hear their preferences around adapting workflow, tasks, projects, and priorities to meet those expectations. This way they get to contribute to the choices being made,” says Shore.

It’s also essential to reset goals to align them with the new work schedule. “Allow for an adjustment or grace period where these metrics can be calibrated appropriately to the realities of a four-day week as they play out in your organisation,” he says. “Competence is about feeling confident that you're doing something successfully, and this includes navigating the new work schedule as well as the work itself.”

Finally, when assessing how a four-day week trial is going, employers should listen to workers. “Include them in the process of evaluating how the new work schedule is working,” adds Shore. “Giving employees an opportunity to participate in leadership-level behaviours such as this process is another way to build a sense of choice.”

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