According to a new British study, four-day working weeks have several positive effects. Many also wish for a shorter working week rather than a salary increase, it has been shown.
In a feature in “Efter fem”, Christer Thörnqvist, docent in occupational science at the University of Skövde, comments on the advantages of four-day work weeks. In Sweden, for example, the bag company Sandqvist has recently introduced four-day weeks for its employees.
More popular than salary increase
When people have been asked about their own choices, surveys show that shorter working hours are always more popular than salary increases. Among other things, 87% of viewers responded to a survey, which “Efter fem” did on Instagram, that they are positive about shorter working hours. “Considering the enormous productivity development we’ve had during this half-century, it’s a bit of a shame that we haven’t been able to cut working hours more,” says Christer Thörnqvist.
Possible risks
At the same time, he believes that it can be associated with certain risks, including that you feel that you are expected to do the same amount of work earlier but in a shorter time. A possible solution to that problem, believes Christer Thörnqvist, is so-called trusted working hours. “Just the feeling that you know you can go home after six hours makes you work better.” At the same time, he also highlights that four-day weeks may be easier to introduce in some industries and more difficult in others.
