Get the latest tech news

Iceland embraced a shorter work week

Iceland’s economy is outperforming most European peers after the nationwide introduction of a shorter working week with no loss in pay, according to research released Friday.

Between 2020 and 2022, 51% of workers in the country had accepted the offer of shorter working hours, including a four-day week, two think tanks found, saying the figure is likely to be even higher today. “This study shows a real success story: shorter working hours have become widespread in Iceland… and the economy is strong across a number of indicators,” Gudmundur D. Haraldsson, a researcher at Alda, said in a statement. Researchers found that productivity stayed the same or improved in most workplaces, while workers’ wellbeing increased “dramatically” on a range of measures, from perceived stress and burnout to health and work-life balance.

Get the Android app