A year after launching a pilot program testing a four-day workweek at companies in the U.S. and Canada, employees’ average hours continued to fall as companies found new ways to save time.
New research from 4 Day Week Global, a nonprofit organization that coordinated the study, tracked the health, well-being and business outcomes of 41 firms as they adopted shorter hours last year. The report found that a year after launching the trials, conducted over six months, employees’ average workweek dropped to less than 33 hours from 38 hours, a big step closer to the target of the 32 hours that make up a workweek consisting of four eight-hour days.
The researchers attribute the further cutback in hours to firms figuring out more ways to be efficient, rather than relying on ratcheting up work intensity. Time savings came from scheduling fewer meetings, streamlining communication and building in more focused time to reduce distractions.