4-day work week – what the experiment in Spain showed

An experiment with a four-day working week took place in Spain. Its results appeared, which showed: there are more pros than cons.

The experiment took place in the Spanish city of Valencia, tells El Pais. The project to shorten the working week through public holidays, which lasted in April-May of this year, was initiated by the previous left-wing coalition of city authorities. Now in Valencia the right-wing People’s Party and the far-right Vox have a majority.

According to a report from the city of Valencia, seven out of ten participants rated the 4-day work week positively. They noted that a four-day workweek improves work-life balance, enriches social life and is good for health.

The data shows an improvement in the self-rated health of those Valencian residents who worked fewer days a week. In particular, there was a significant reduction in stress levels and feelings of fatigue, improvement in mood and personal satisfaction compared to those who continued to work full time.

The experiment participants used the freed time for recreation and sports, cultural and educational events, and visits to parks and natural areas. Another benefit was also noted: due to the reduction in traffic on Valencia’s roads, the air quality in the city has improved.

In fairness, it is worth mentioning the negative consequences of the experiment. For example, some of the participants began to… smoke more and drink alcohol on extra days off, the level of sales in stores fell by 20%, and emergency medical services were more stressed.

In Spain, experiments with a four-day working week have been organized before. Then the goal was to find out the impact of such a schedule on labor productivity.

One of the largest experiments of this plan in the UK showed the effectiveness of a shortened working week, and the majority of companies that took part in it decided not to return to the previous work schedule.

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