Work time reduction via a 4-day workweek finds improvements in workers’ well-being
Abstract
Time spent on the job is a fundamental aspect of working conditions that influences many facets of individuals' lives. Here we study how an organization-wide 4-day workweek intervention-with no reduction in pay-affects workers' well-being. Organizations undergo pre-trial work reorganization to improve efficiency and collaboration, followed by a 6-month trial. Analysis of pre- and post-trial data from 2,896 employees across 141 organizations in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and the USA shows improvements in burnout, job satisfaction, mental health and physical health-a pattern not observed in 12 control companies. Both company-level and individual-level reductions in hours are correlated with well-being gains, with larger individual-level (but not company-level) reductions associated with greater improvements in well-being. Three key factors mediate the relationship: improved self-reported work ability, reduced sleep problems and decreased fatigue. The results indicate that income-preserving 4-day workweeks are an effective organizational intervention for enhancing workers' well-being.
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Fan, W., Schor, J. B., Kelly, O., & Gu, G.
- Affiliations
- Boston College (US)
- University College Dublin (IE)
- Corresponding author
- Fan, Wen
- Schor, Juliet B.
- Venue
- Nature Human Behaviour
- Published
- 2025-07-21
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 2153-2168
- ISSN
- 2397-3374 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4412530108
- Semantic Scholar
- 1dfcdf82173837ff0a8ca319022f69092ef98677
- Cited by
- 17
- References
- 63
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 6
- FWCI
- 21.68
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Nature Human Behaviour (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Russell Sage Foundation (2205-38631)
- National Science Foundation (2241840)
- Boston College
- Forsa trade union
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Workplace Health and Well-being
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Workaholism, burnout, and well-being
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Work-Family Balance Challenges
- Keywords
- working time reduction, employee well-being, burnout, job satisfaction, mental health, physical health, work ability, fatigue
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Australia, Burnout, Professional, Canada, Fatigue, Female, Health Status, Humans, Job Satisfaction, Male, Mental Health, Middle Aged, New Zealand
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