'Seems to be working'- Expert says four day week will boost productivity and revenue

Professor Luke O’Neill at Trinity College was on Newstalk's Pat Kenny show recently to suggest to bosses that they should introduce a four day working week if they want to boost productivity. 

Professor O' Niell says that employers who cut the working week down to four days without cutting pay will boost productivity, make staff happier, avoid burn out and increase the company's revenue as well. This is according to data from a new study on the four day working week.

People have been advocating in favour of this change over the last couple of years but bosses remain sceptical about the impact it would have on their company’s profits, according to Newstalk. 

Professor Luke O’Neill explained exactly why bosses in Ireland should consider a four day work week, and backs up his reasonings with data from a new study called 'Nature of Human Behaviour". 

“So, they’re concluding a four day week is much better for everybody; both the employee and, strangely, the employer. 

“The fear is you’d be less productive and so on, but this detailed study supports that we should all have a four day week.” 

The study used data from 140 companies, which were based in the US, Ireland, Australia and Britain.

Over a six month period, some 3,000 workers were studied and their productivity was carefully monitored. 

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“They all moved to a four day week, very importantly their wages weren’t cut… and then they studied these people for six months,” Professor O’Neill said.  

“Productivity wasn’t affected - in fact, it went up in some of these companies. 

“Revenue went up - and that was a surprise. 

“So, all your workers that are now working four days instead of five, you don’t increase the number of employees. 

“Yet productivity and revenue levels went up - and then of course, employees were happier.” 

Professor O’Neill continued that the majority of workers reported less stress and burnout, as well as greater loyalty and affection towards their employers.

“They had more freedom in their lives and that gave them a sense of empowerment,” he said. 

“So, overall, the employees were all very happy.” 

Professor O’Neill added that the bottom line is “this seems to be working”, noting that a five day week is still a novelty in historical terms. 

“Remember, when we went to 40 hour week, that was in the 1930s,” he said. 

“Before that, you did a six day week; so, it’s a bit arbitrary that you go from six to five anyway. 

“Now the suggestion is to go from five to four.”