Compressed workweeks positively affect the work-life balance, a new International Labor Organization (ILO) study said.
Another study in the Philippines revealed they reduced job stress which, in turn, enhanced both work-life balance and productivity.
A meta-analysis that combined the results of 40 studies found that most studies identified a positive link between compressed workweeks and work-life balance, according to the study made public January 6.
Employees, for example, gain longer weekends due to the extra day off from work.
One study identified multiple benefits from the extra day released by compressed workweeks, including allowing workers to spend more time with families, take weekend trips together, take children to their activities, socialize with friends and increase their time for personal activities.
Another study found that employees’ overall job satisfaction, leisure time and life satisfaction — three of the five variables measured — improved significantly.
Compressed workweeks also benefit employers by decreasing overhead costs as workers are present for fewer days, enabling businesses to save on operating and maintenance costs.
However, there is a lack of consensus concerning the physiological and psychological health effects of compressed workweeks, says the ILO study, “Working Time and Work-Life Balance Around the World.”
Some research suggests that their introduction has been found to increase fatigue, stress, and psychological and physiological health symptoms because of the longer workdays.
Similarly, one analysis found that employees on compressed workweeks reported having more health-related problems, including musculoskeletal problems such as pain, numbness, stiffness and burning in the neck, shoulders and back.
