Overview

• A six-month, income-preserving trial of nearly 3,000 employees across 141 organizations in six countries showed marked reductions in burnout and improvements in mental and physical health compared with control firms.
• Ninety percent of trial participants opted to keep four-day schedules after the experiment, indicating sustained operational viability without pay cuts.
• A German study using fitness trackers found participants experienced significantly less stress, increased physical activity and about 38 minutes more sleep per week with no decline in revenue.
• Critics including Teramind’s Isaac Kohen warn that reliance on self-reported productivity creates a critical data gap and urge the adoption of objective performance metrics.
• Senator Bernie Sanders’ Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act advances in Congress alongside government-backed pilots in Japan, the UAE and Portugal.