Can four-day work week help reduce workplace stress?
Globally, nearly two in five (38 per cent) of workers are suffering from burnout, according to a report from Infinite Potential.
While that number is the same as the data recorded last year, things appear to be worse for most age groups.
While the rate of burnout dropped this year (27 per cent) from last year (47 per cent) for 18- to 24-year-olds and for 25- to 34-year-olds (39 per cent this year, down from 43 per cent last year), things have gotten worse for all other age groups:
- 35- to 44-year-olds: 48 per cent this year from 42 per cent last year
- 45- to 54-year-olds: 41 per cent this year from 33 per cent last year
- 55- to 64-year-olds: 28 per cent this year from 25 per cent last year
Things have also gotten worse for women, with the rate of burnout rising to 42 per cent this year from 38 per cent last year. Meanwhile, men (30 per cent this year from 33 per cent last year) and non-binary (42 per cent this year from 50 per cent last year) respondents are better off today.
Over seven in 10 (71 per cent) of Canadians have considered quitting their jobs due to burnout or stress, with 32 per cent actually quitting, according to The Prosperity Project. And women are more likely to quit because of this, finds the study.
Does burnout reduce productivity?
Employers should be focusing more on addressing burnout as it has a negative effect on their employees’ work, according to Infinite Potential’s survey of 2,008 respondents from 43 countries, including Canada.
Among workers who are burnt out, 68 per cent say they are less productive over the past year while only nine per cent say they are more productive. Nearly six in 10 (59 per cent) burnout out employees also say their quality of work over the past 12 months are lower, with only 10 per cent saying it is higher.
Meanwhile, among those not suffering from burnout, 47 per cent are more productive over the past 12 months while just 16 per cent are less productive. Nearly half (48 per cent) also say their quality of work over the past year is higher; only nine per cent say it is lower.
Currently, workers rank their overall wellbeing as 42 out of 100, up a little bit from 41 out of 100 last year.
And employers’ support has held steady. Workers say the overall organization support they get this year is at 51 out of 100, the same as last year.
That number, however, is down from 69 out of 100 in 2021.
Men rank organization support at 57 out of 100 while women rate it 48 out of 100.
“The work landscape has dramatically shifted in recent years. The aftermath of the pandemic has left people re-evaluating priorities, seeking not just a pay cheque, but stability, purpose and a work environment that prioritises wellbeing,” say Dr. John Chan,managing director of Infinite; Sally Clarke, co-director and senior consultant at Human Leaders; and organizational psychologist Amanda Cebrian, in their report.
“How leaders address and adapt to these priorities will determine their organisation’s ability to attract and bring out the best in their people. Leaders who cling to outdated models of work behaviours and norms risk driving their employees towards chronic workplace stress.”
Overall, about 500,000 Canadians are unable to work due to poor mental health every week, according to a previous report.
Does a 4-day work week help with burnout?
One thing that could help companies nip employee burnout in the bud is implementing a shortened work week, according to Infinite Potential’s study.
Currently, while 42 per cent of people working 40+ hours are experiencing burnout, only nine per cent of those working on a full-time reduced hour model (e.g., 32-hour work week) are experiencing burnout.
This shortened work week helps reduce burnout by 32 per cent, psychological hazards by 19 per cent and workplace isolation by 12 per cent.
Also, it helps improve workers’ perception on the following:
- organizational support: +44 per cent
- wellbeing: +40 per cent
- engagement: + 23 per cent
- retention: +22 per cent
- quality of work: +18 per cent
- productivity: +15 per cent
“A powerful lens for identifying the specific changes your organisation needs to improve its workplace sustainability is a well-planned transition to reduced working hours,” say the report authors.
“A successful shift to reduced working hours inherently requires removing inefficiencies and frustrations while improving transparency and leadership attributes in a way that improves overall culture.”
