What the latest research says about a four-day working week or a three-day weekend.
More and more countries are trialling 4-day workweeks. If the United Kingdom’s 4-day workweek pilot, one of the largest in the world, is any indication, more businesses will be embracing the long weekend.
Published in February 2023, the report shows that 40 % of about 2 900 employees from 61 companies who participated reported fewer sleep issues or insomnia. What’s more, 56 of the companies will continue with a 4-day workweek. Even more notable is that 18 companies will make this a permanent arrangement.
Extra time off does wonders
In a more recent study published in the ‘International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity’, researchers at the University of South Australia (UniSA) found that taking a long weekend break can significantly benefit health. Empirical research revealed that people exhibited more active and healthier behaviour. The team used data from the Annual Rhythms in Adults’ Lifestyle and Health study where 308 adults (mean age 40.4 years) wore fitness trackers 24/7 over a 13-month period.
During this time, participants took on average two to three holidays of about 12 days each. While on holiday, they took part in 13 % more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily, were 5 % less sedentary each day and slept 4 % more every day.
“When people go on holiday, they’re changing their everyday responsibilities because they’re not locked down to their normal schedule,” lead author Dr Ty Ferguson commented in a UniSA news release. “In this study, we found that movement patterns changed for the better when on holiday, with increased physical activity and decreased sedentary behaviour observed across the board.”
Dr Ferguson elaborated on the health benefits: “We also found that people gained an extra 21 minutes of sleep each day they were on holiday, which can have a range of positive effects on our physical and mental health. For example, getting enough sleep can help improve our mood, cognitive function, and productivity. It can also help lower our risk of developing a range of health conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and depression. Interestingly, the size of these changes increased in line with the length of the holiday – so the longer the holiday, the better the health benefits.”
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Long live the 4-day workweek
Senior study author Prof. Carol Maher is all for the 4-day workweek’s growing movement: “A shorter working week is being trialled by companies all over the world. Not surprisingly, employees reported less stress, burnout, fatigue, as well as better mental health and improved work-life balance.”
Prof. Maher added: “Importantly, our study also showed that even after a short holiday, people’s increased sleep remained elevated for two weeks, showing that the health benefits of a three-day break can have lasting effects beyond the holiday itself.” She concluded: “As the world adapts to a new normal, perhaps it’s time to embrace the long weekend as a way to boost our physical and mental health.”
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