According to a new study, working four days a week enhanced employee well-being and reduced stress, thereby promoting productivity. The data from the six-month-long trial conducted by "4 Day Week Global" in conjunction with the UK`s "4 Day Week Campaign" revealed that a four-day working week was associated with significantly reduced rates of stress and illness in the workforce.

The findings of the campaign showed that 71% of employees reported lower levels of "burnout," while 39% of participants stated that they were less stressed in comparison to the start of the trial. Overall, the self-reported levels of anxiety and fatigue decreased, while mental and physical health improved among the participants of the study.

In the study, the participants reported that they found it easier to juggle work with both family and social obligations, with 60% of workers reporting an increased ability to mix paid work with care obligations and 62% reporting it easier to balance work with social life. A sociologist, Professor Dr. Brendan Burchell, who oversaw the University of Cambridge side of the research, stated that before the trial, many questioned whether there was a link between an improvement in productivity and a reduction in working time, but that is exactly what was observed in the study.

Additionally, the researchers observed a 65% drop in sick leave along with a 57% drop in the number of employees leaving the participating organizations when compared to the same period the previous year. During the trial period, there was hardly any change in the companys revenue, which on average even increased slightly by 1.4%. 

(Source: https://www.business-standard.com/article/health/four-day-week-boosts-employee-well-being-reduces-stress-new-trial-123022101065_1.html )