In 2015, Iceland began an experiment that put the concept of the 4-day week to the test. The results are clear.
Where is the 4-day week a great success? Iceland launched the largest experiment in the world on reduced working hours in 2015.
2,500 employees from 100 companies and government agencies reduced their average weekly working hours from 40 to up to 35 hours – with the same pay. The success didn’t take long to materialize. The experiment became everyday life for a large part of Icelandic workers just a few years later (via Kontrast).
A study by the British Autonomy Institute and the Icelandic Association for Sustainability and Democracy
(Alda) now highlights the exact effects on the people and the economy of the island nation (via autonomy.work)
The young people from Generation Z are likely not surprised: In a survey that we also reported on, 81 percent stated that they are convinced of this: Work less and still be more productive.
Looking to the future, a group of students has come together to highlight the dangers of surveillance techniques and AI. You can view the result in this video:
Healthier, happier, wealthier – Iceland
What does the 4-day week bring to Icelandic workers? The study shows that most are very satisfied with the shorter working hours:
- 80 percent state that they are satisfied with the reduction.
- 60 percent believe that their personal life has improved as a result. They felt mentally and physically more refreshed.
At the same time, the survey shows that companies or government agencies have not suffered from the changes. Sick days decreased, while productivity increased. This was achieved through the introduction of additional digital tools and restructured work processes.
For example, meetings were reduced on average. This result fits well with a trend that a study by an IT giant shows: “Maximum human inefficiency” – Microsoft explains why we get so little work done in the office.
How many are now working less than before? In public service at the state level, by the end of the survey period, according to the study, 71 percent and in the urban public sector 57 percent had reduced their working hours. The private sector lagged behind with 41 percent. What it looks like today is not known.
How is the economy developing? Iceland’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew, for example, by five percentage points in 2023 while Germany’s economy shrank by 0.3 percentage points. According to further forecasts, Iceland will surpass Germany and other countries in Europe in economic development in the coming years (via Federal Statistical Office (Statista): Iceland and Germany).
Looking at this statistic for the EU at Statista shows that Iceland has already left almost all EU countries behind between 2022 and 2023 with its nine and the aforementioned five percent.
Employees of a significant industrial nation, many of you know primarily as creators of legendary game series, cannot relate much to the 4-day week. They may be legally entitled to work less, but they firmly reject it: In one country, people work more than they must, voluntarily forgoing the 4-day week
