It’s Time for Change—German Four-Day Workweek Trial Is a Success

Employees across the globe have been pushing for a shift to a four-day workweek model while employers have continued to resist the change. In the latest update to the story, a smattering of German firms engaged in a four-day workweek trial to test whether the system was feasible for their business. 

The six-month study conducted across 45 organizations showed that Germany’s four-day week experiment was extremely successful, with many of the firms now open to shifting their work model more permanently.

Just like many other regions, Germany has also encountered a labor shortage, but instead of pushing to increase working hours to combat the shortage like Greece has, businesses have tested out a model where they can encourage more employees to join the workforce and put in more productive hours when they do come to work.

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How Did the German Four-Day Work Week Trial Run Go?

Germany’s four-day workweek experiment began in February, with 45 companies joining the test under the guidance of consulting firm Intraprenor and non-profit organization 4 Day Week Global. The non-profit has been hard at work for years now, supporting large-scale studies to help companies test the viability of shifting the work model at their organization. 

According to Bloomberg, the results of the study revealed that three-quarters of participants aren’t returning to a five-day standard after successfully seeing the benefits of the four-day model. Around 73% of the companies that participated in the German four-day workweek trial are now considering either shifting permanently to the model or continuing with the experiment for at least a few more months. 

Two of the involved firms were not able to go through with the full trial period due to “economic difficulties or lack of internal support. ” However, this is an inevitable part of the shift, and not every organization will be equipped to make the change instantly. Depending on the nature of the industry, the size of the organization, the type of client interactions, the global reach of the organization, etc., the feasibility of implementing a four-day workweek model will vary.

This does not mean that some organizations will never be able to make a change—it only means that these organizations will have to invest more time and resources in making the transition away from traditional work models.

Why Are Businesses Considering Shifting to a Four-Day Workweek System?

Germany’s four-day workweek pilot program revealed that despite reducing the working time, the revenue and profit levels either remained stable or improved at the participating businesses. Carsten Meier, managing director at Intraprenor, spoke to Bloomberg about the study and its findings. He explained that the four-day workweek was successful not only in attracting new talent but in retaining existing talent and manpower as well. Workers who were happy to see the change were inclined to stay with the organization, addressing Germany’s labor shortage issue in a sense. 

The four-day workweek trial also revealed that it contributed greatly to the mental and physical health of employees who had additional time to cater to themselves and their responsibilities outside of work. A four-day workweek gives employees a significant amount of time back to invest in their personal lives and hobbies, and this is one of the primary reasons why workers advocate for change. 

With shorter work weeks, employees are less likely to take sick days and other forms of leave, and they are more likely to be rejuvenated when they come in to work. They have more space to think about their work and take an active interest in retaining their role. 

The German four-day workweek trial is not the first large-scale study on the topic. Such trials have been conducted in the UK as well, at the end of which a majority of the firms that participated decided to stick to the new system of work. According to a Gallup poll, 77% of US workers said a four-day, 40-hour workweek could positively impact their well-being if implemented at their workplace.

There are many roadblocks to shifting to a four-day week, many of which will only be revealed once a business runs its own trials with the new system. Still, organizations that successfully implement the change can stand to gain a very significant edge over their competitors for the next few years, at least in terms of recruitment and retention of workers.

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