Iceland Finds 'Major Success' Moving To Shorter Workweek
Iceland has found that a shorter workweek has improved the well-being of its workforce while not cutting into productivity. Halldor Kolbeins/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
As many people contemplate a future in which they don't need to commute to offices, the idea of working less altogether also has its appeal.
Now, research out of Iceland has found that working fewer hours for the same pay led to improved well-being among workers, with no loss in productivity. In fact, in some places, workers were more productive after cutting back their hours.
Granted, Iceland is tiny. Its entire workforce amounts to about 200,000 people. But 86% of Iceland's working population has moved to shorter hours or has the right to negotiate such a schedule, according to a report by the Association for Democracy and Sustainability and the think tank Autonomy. This follows two successful trials, involving 2,500 workers, that the report called "a major success."
The trials were conducted from 2015 to 2019. Workers went from a 40-hour weekly schedule to 35- or 36-hour weekly schedules without a reduction in pay. The trials were launched after agitation from labor unions and grassroots organizations that pointed to Iceland's low rankings among its Nordic neighbors when it comes to work-life balance.
