Iceland's 4-Day Workweek Has Been 'An Overwhelming Success' & Here's Why It's Working

The results of four-day workweek trials in Iceland are in and the experiment was "an overwhelming success" with improvements in work-life balance and wellbeing.

From 2015 to 2019, the country had two trials where people worked a reduced workweek of 35 to 36 hours and had no pay reduction. It was such a success that now 86% of Iceland's workforce either works shorter hours or has the right to reduce their hours.

According to data released on July 4, fewer working hours led to maintained or increased productivity and also improved employees' wellbeing and work-life balance overall.

In the trials, workers found that they were feeling better, more energized and less stressed because they had more energy for other activities including exercise, hobbies and seeing friends after working fewer hours. That, in turn, had a positive effect on their work.

When it comes to work-life balance, people said there was a considerable benefit to not working as much with many reporting that their work and home life was in better harmony with fewer conflicts. The results of the trials also found that stress at home was reduced as a result of the four-day workweek because people had more time to devote to their families.

In other parts of the world, four-day workweeks and flexible hours are being tested including in Canada and Spain.