Working less can make people healthier – and also more creative and more productive. New research shows that a reduction in working hours can be associated with improved work ability, lower stress levels, and organizational behavioral changes.
Which results would you say are the most important in your research?
– We see strong results regarding health, says Lena Lid Falkman. But equally important are the results on increased work ability and problem‑solving capacity. Not only do employees feel better after a period of shorter working hours, but they also work better. And on top of that, they are happier.
– I want to highlight the results related to work‑related stress, the feeling of being completely exhausted at the end of the workday, and work‑related burnout, says Siri Jakobsson Störe. These improvements were not only statistically significant but also had medium to large effect sizes.
Was there any result that surprised you?
– Yes – how important the shorter working hours were as both an incentive and a driver for change, says Lena Lid Falkman. In a couple of organizations, improvements in processes and work methods that had been attempted for a long time suddenly became possible when employees were given the chance to reduce their working hours.
– It was fairly expected that participants reported having more time for social relationships outside of work, says Siri Jakobsson Störe, but something that surprised me was that participants also felt they talked more with colleagues about things not directly work‑related, and that they rated their productivity higher after the trial.
In what ways can your research and its results benefit society, and who can make use of them?
– We haven’t researched at the societal level, but at the organizational level, says Lena Lid Falkman. But since the results show improvements in health and wellbeing while participants also report better work ability and creativity, operations in sectors with high levels of ill‑health could benefit from these findings.
– Our results show positive relationships between reduced working hours, recovery, and work ability, says Siri Jakobsson Störe. However, it’s important to put this in perspective. Many earlier studies, including ours, are small and lack a control group, and participating organizations often volunteer, which can influence outcomes. To make more general statements about effects at the societal level, larger, controlled studies are needed.
Are industries, the labor market, companies, and organizations ready for this change – and could it in any way be questioned?
– Our results should be interpreted with caution, says Lena Lid Falkman. Participation was voluntary – a limited sample and for a limited time. But our findings are still interesting. They were produced using rigorous methods with previously validated measures of health. We also conducted surveys, interviews, and diary studies to gain a deep understanding. Our results also align with the research from Boston College. Last summer, our colleagues there published an article in Nature Human Behaviour based on data from English‑speaking countries. Their study includes a larger sample and 12 control companies. Shorter working hours show strong positive effects on health and wellbeing but also on productivity and work ability. We have now shown that this also applies in Sweden.
Has anything emerged during the project that you would like to research further?
– I’d like to explore more about how we can work smarter and with more focus on tasks that create value in an organization, says Lena Lid Falkman. For example, how AI can be used to speed up certain tasks. Or how classic methods such as time‑blocking or reviewing one’s availability can support more focused work.
– I would like to research norms around working hours and work practices – meeting culture (or ‘u‑kultur’ as we say in Norwegian), the sacred coffee break, and other habits that influence how we use our time at work, says Siri Jakobsson Störe. I’m curious about how these norms both create opportunities and challenges for people with different needs, for example individuals with functional variations.
– We would also like to include more participating operations of other types, such as a manufacturing company or a high‑tech organization, says Lena Lid Falkman. We’ve decided to extend the project, so we’re accepting new organizations until summer. So if you’re more than six people and want to try reducing working hours to 80% for six months, feel free to get in touch.
