Shorter working week trials an ‘overwhelming success’ in Iceland | CNN
Imagine working fewer hours but still getting paid the same. That’s exactly what Iceland tried from 2015 to 2019 in two big public-sector trials, where thousands of employees reduced their weekly hours from 40 to around 35-36 without a pay cut. The results? Worker well-being soared, with participants reporting less stress, burnout, and an improved work-life balance. Researchers from Autonomy and the Association for Sustainable Democracy (Alda) noted that productivity didn’t dip—in fact, in most workplaces, it even improved.
The trials impacted over 2,500 people, making up more than 1% of Iceland’s working population. But this wasn’t just a feel-good experiment. The findings sparked a movement across the country. Icelandic trade unions used the data to push for widespread changes, leading to about 86% of the nation’s workforce now enjoying shorter hours or having the option to do so. Autonomy’s director of research, Will Stronge, called it an “overwhelming success,” arguing that the public sector could be a trailblazer for shorter workweeks worldwide.
However, not everyone is entirely sold on the idea just yet. Daiga Kamerade, a work and well-being expert from the University of Salford in the UK, pointed out that public sector workers might already have better conditions compared to the private sector, which could influence the results. She believes that the next step is to test even shorter weeks, like the four-day, 32-hour model, across various types of workplaces to get a clearer picture.
This shift isn’t only happening in Iceland. The idea of working fewer hours without sacrificing pay has caught the attention of companies globally. Microsoft Japan tested a four-day workweek back in 2019 and saw a whopping 40% increase in productivity. Unilever New Zealand recently joined the trend, inspired by changes in work habits during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Across the globe, both small businesses and big corporations are rethinking the traditional workweek. The trials highlight a growing belief that less can indeed be more—not only for individual health but also for overall productivity………..
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If a shorter workweek became standard worldwide, what could be the potential impact on consumer behavior, investor confidence, and economic growth?
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