Evaluation of a 4-day week with reduced working hours: subjective effects on overtime, satisfaction, work-life balance and stress perception
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18753/2297-8224-7039Keywords:
Reduction of working hours, Working time organization, Health, Compatibility, EvaluationAbstract
In an electrical assembly company with around 150 employees, the impact of a reduction in working hours to 36 hours as a 4-day week with full pay was examined from the perspective of employees and managers on health, compatibility, satisfaction, and workload. A mix of methods consisting of quantitative analyses (overtime, retrospective online survey, fluctuation analysis) and qualitative focus groups was used 1.5 years after the changeover. The results show a high level of satisfaction among all stakeholders. Compatibility in particular improved while the workload remained the same and the volume of overtime decreased. Productivity was judged to have increased. This example thus demonstrates successful implementation in the manufacturing sector.
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