Talk about a stress buster. Companies from Germany to New Zealand to Japan—yes, the country where people have been known to drop dead from overwork—are moving to ease the workload of their employees. Or at least increase their days off.
Yes, we are talking about a four-day work week. While the move has been prompted by a backlash against overwork and burnouts, the world is also telling Elon Musk where to get off following his “nobody changed the world on 40 hours a week” tweet.
In fact, in a recent study, half of the employees surveyed said they could get their work done in five hours a day if they were not interrupted.
The good part is that companies are finding it to their benefit, reporting higher productivity and more motivated employees. Then there is the health trade-off as well, given the growing awareness of mental health issues from being constantly connected to work.
Perhaps it’s time to declare, “Workers of the world unite! It’s time to move from overtime to downtime.”