Brits ‘should work a four-day week’ so they can go shopping more, new study claims

The hard-working people of Britain should only be working four days a week to spend their extra day off partaking in leisure activities such as shopping, a new study has claimed. 

Of course, the idea of enjoying a three-day weekend every single week is a very handsome thought to most of you grafters out there and, incredibly, it isn’t just a pipe dream.

Across the pond in Iceland, a four-day working week trial has proved to be an ‘overwhelming success’, having actually resulted in a productivity spike among workers across numerous sectors and industries, despite their shorter hours. 

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The workplaces taking part moved from a forty hour working week to a thirty-six or thirty-five hour working week with no pay cut for employers.

Workers reported feeling less stressed and at risk of burnout while working these shorter hours, and also said their health and work-life balance had improved drastically. They also reported having more time to spend with their families, do hobbies and complete household chores.

It sounds like a win-win, doesn’t it? And now, just to persuade bosses to give their staff an extra day off even further, a new study has come forward with some eye-opening results regarding the benefits regular three-day weekends can bring.

The study, carried out by e-commerce experts at the international delivery service, ParcelHero, has claimed that the introduction of a four-day working week could boost high street sales by an estimated £58 billion. 

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According to the study, the shorter working hours would give Brits a whopping 20% extra time to increase their spending on leisure activities such as shopping, hobbies, gardening and DIY projects. 

A shorter week would also help staff recruitment by making jobs more attractive.

Consumer research boss, David Jinks, told The Mirror: “Lockdowns have made us all re-evaluate our work-life balance and we’ve seen most ­businesses can survive without the traditional 9-5, five-day week.

“It could boost key areas such as hospitality that have been hardest hit by the pandemic.”

A recent survey of business owners, chief executives, and finance officers showed 47% are ‘very open’ to a shortened working week and 32% are ‘quite open.’