South Africa’s pioneering pilot of the four-day week is coming to a close and according to the organisation that ran it, 4 Day Week SA, it might look promising.
The futuristic experiment generated a lot of interest and discussion with numerous companies participating.
“As the 4 Day Week SA Pioneer Pilot draws to a close, we are eagerly anticipating the release of research results from a collaborative effort between Boston College and Stellenbosch Business School,” said 4 Day Week SA.
“These findings are expected to shed light on the impact and outcomes of the pioneering 4-day work week experiment in the South African context.”
It went on to say that the full insights would be released in September, providing a better understanding of the advantages and consequences of this innovative work arrangement.
The four-day work week is said to drastically improve employee mental health and consequently, they become more productive.
Professor Mark Smith, the director of Stellenbosch Business School presented encouraging findings from the current pilot in an opinion piece.
While all of the data is still awaited, Professor Smith stated that the preliminary findings are fascinating.
The South African pilot is yielding results similar to those seen in nations such as Canada, Finland, South Korea, and Australia.
Notably, despite obstacles such as power outages, labour conflicts, water scarcity, and crime, South Africa's economy has many modern characteristics.
Professor Smith emphasised greater well-being, improved organisational climate, decreased absenteeism, and improved team bonding, all while maintaining conventional working hours productivity.
IOL