Juliet Schor recently co-authored the editorial “US has an overwork problem. A four-day workweek can fix it.” in the Boston Globe:
Findings from the first three completed trials are encouraging. We surveyed employees just before the trial began, at midpoint, and at the trial’s end. On a wide range of well-being outcomes, they experienced large, statistically significant findings. These include lower levels of burnout and stress (70 percent and 37 percent respectively); better physical and mental health (36 percent and 42 percent); and more positive and fewer negative emotions — 65 percent and 53 percent.
They were experiencing less fatigue and fewer sleep problems, and they were exercising more. The average rating for life satisfaction went from 6.68 to 7.55 (on a scale of zero to 10), and satisfaction with time jumped an impressive 2.16 points. Participants reported less work-family conflict, less family-work friction, as well as great work-life balance. They used the off-day for leisure and hobbies, followed by housework and care, and personal maintenance. These findings support what we hear from many workers — a two-day weekend is just not sufficient for a happy and healthy life.
