4-day week increases employee productivity and well-being, says research

More than 60% of workers in Brazilian companies that agreed to test the ‘four-day week’ with their employees felt improvements in project execution, while 44% were better able to meet their deadlines. The data comes from a survey by Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV) in partnership with Boston College based on a pilot project developed by 4 Day Week Brasil and 4 Day Week Global.

Initially, 22 companies and 280 workers would participate in the project. However, during planning, one of the corporations decided to abandon the project. Almost 60% of participants were women and 72% of the total audience was white. More than 60% of companies excluded Friday from their ‘working week’, while 22% decided that the additional day off would be on Monday.

More than 70% of workers who participated in the survey perceived ‘a lot of job satisfaction’ with the four-day week. Check out the main highlights of the research below:

Impact on work

61.5% improvement in project execution;
$44.4 improvement in the ability to meet deadlines;
58.5% improvement in creativity and innovation;
33.3% improvement in the ability to attract customers;

Impact on well-being

82.4% with more energy to carry out tasks;
62.7% reduction in stress at work;
64.9% reduction in wear and tear at the end of the day;
67% weekly anxiety reduction;

Health impact

64.5% reduction in frequent exhaustion due to work;
46.3% exercised more than three times a week;
27.1% increase in those who sleep more than 8 hours per night;
50% reduction in insomnia

Impact on social

78.1% increase in energy for family and friends;
57.9% were able to better balance their personal and professional lives;
85.4% greater collaboration;
44% improvement in the relationship with the manager or leader

Almost 29% of those interviewed stated that they would not return to work in a company that adopts a five-day week even with a higher salary, while 36.8% would consider returning if the salary offered was 50% higher than the current one.

The research continues to be carried out and, in the second half of 2024, consolidated data will be released from January to June, when the pilot project will end. The data obtained will be considered official data on the adoption of the four-day week in Brazil.