Why three-day weekends are great for wellbeing – and the economy

The coronation of King Charles III has upped the UK’s public vacation rely this yr. At the moment’s particular public vacation, mixed with the early Could financial institution vacation and the spring financial institution vacation on the finish of Could, has made for a month of celebrations for a lot of staff.

Usually public holidays within the UK – and in England and Wales particularly – are rather more uncommon events. The coronation celebration brings the entire to 9 in 2023, which remains to be fewer than any EU nation. Provided that hours labored within the UK over the entire yr are 11 per cent higher than in Germany, for instance, it’s not clear that working extra and having fewer holidays is an indication of financial success.

At the moment, nine of the top ten most productive OECD countries, measured by GDP per hour labored in {dollars}, are in continental Europe. But it is a area with a convention of lengthy holidays. There’s additionally proof that nationwide holidays have a small but positive impact on economic activity, or at the least no ill-effect.

Having a number of three-day weekends in a single month additionally brings into focus the current four-day working week pilots (with out lack of pay) in lots of international locations. Iceland led one of many earliest giant trials between 2015 and 2019, with its success seeing it rolled out to shut to 90 per cent of Iceland’s workforce. These individuals can now request a shorter workweek with none loss in pay.

Findings from a New Zealand trial amongst staff of Unilever additionally confirmed robust outcomes towards commonplace enterprise targets equivalent to income progress. The overwhelming majority of individuals reported feeling engaged and absenteeism dropped by 34 per cent in the course of the trial.

An analogous six-month pilot programme befell within the UK from June to December 2022, involving 61 firms and round 2,900 staff. As with the opposite trials, organisers stated it was a convincing success for the businesses concerned – 56 of those 61 companies pledged to proceed with the four-day week.

Paying 100 per cent of the usual wages for 80 per cent of the earlier worktime could appear uneconomic, however the UK trial discovered that the “overwhelming majority of firms have been additionally glad that enterprise efficiency and productiveness have been maintained”. Employees retention additionally improved with the variety of individuals leaving the taking part firms dropping by 57 per cent in the course of the trial.

Wellbeing and well being advantages

However probably the most important advantages to staff from these four-day week trials have been when it comes to wellbeing. The UK trial reported that 39 per cent of staff have been much less confused and 71 per cent stated that they had lowered ranges of burnout by the tip. The typical psychological well being rating (on a five-point scale from poor to glorious) rose from 2.95 initially of the trial to three.32 by the tip – a rise of 13 per cent. And when it comes to nervousness, 54 per cent of respondents reported a discount in damaging feelings.

An analogous wellbeing increase was seen in Ireland’s four-day work week trial accomplished in 2022. Among the many 12 Irish firms concerned, staff noticed a discount in nervousness and damaging emotions and a rise in constructive emotions (and expressions of these emotions) all through the trial.

The previously-mentioned New Zealand trial additionally confirmed the robust constructive results of a four-day week on wellbeing. Over two-thirds of individuals reported a greater work–life steadiness, and measured stress ranges dropped by 33 per cent in the course of the trial interval.

4-day work week versus public holidays

However the advantages from four-day week trials are everlasting since they accrue from a long-term change in working preparations, at the least in the course of the trial. So, the results of this yr’s spate of Could financial institution holidays within the UK might be totally different.

This was actually proven to be the case by a research that checked out the wellbeing benefits of national holidays across 200 countries. It discovered that one much less public vacation reduces the likelihood of being completely satisfied by 0.8 proportion factors, however that one much less public vacation had no affect on the longer-term measure of life satisfaction.

However other research shows that, though the constructive wellbeing affect of public holidays is probably not everlasting, it does result in a rise in social cohesion or social capital. This brings its personal financial and wellbeing advantages. For all however a minority of the workforce, public holidays make sure that individuals are utilizing it for leisure time. And social cohesion has lengthy been related to constructive wellbeing.  

We have to concentrate on office wellbeing greater than ever. Along with a number of excessive profile office bullying and harassment scandals lately, calls to employee assistance hotlines are at file highs as a result of nervousness and despair amongst staff. These initiatives have been designed to satisfy demand for a variety of work-related queries and recommendation, to not act as an emergency psychological well being service.

And so, the coronation public vacation could give UK staff the much-needed celebration they want. No matter your view of the Royal household, Could’s public holidays will profit the financial system, however extra importantly, they’ll ship a wellbeing increase for a lot of the nation.

Tony Syme is senior lecturer in economics on the College of Salford, England; Maria Paola Rana is a lecturer in economics on the College of Salford.

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