Is working 4 days a week better than 5?

Is working 4 days a week better than 5?

In a recent trial, Microsoft found that productivity jumped by 40%.
This sounds impressive when you consider that what changed was a reduction in working four days per week instead of five.

This was an experiment carried out in Japan by Microsoft. A Microsoft Japan subsidiary closed every Friday in August 2019 and compared productivity against August 2018. 

Another interesting element saw a reduced time spent in meetings by Microsoft implementing a 30-minute maximum limit on meetings and combining this with a push to use remote communication tools.

When you factor in that this trial added a reduction in energy consumption, office resources, and a reduction in commuting while seeing a rise in productivity it is hard to argue with these statistics. 

The way we work continues to change and working less more productive hours with an increase in remote working looks to be a more productive and sustainable way of working for now and the future.