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Perhaps not a surprise. But working less, for the same pay, makes workers feel better and more relaxed.
we study how an organization-wide 4-day workweek intervention—with no reduction in pay—affects workers' well-being.
These are the findings from new peer-reviewed research published in Nature Human Behaviour, where researchers monitored the effects of a four-day work week for six months.
About 2,896 employees across 141 organisations in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States, Ireland and the United Kingdom took part.
They answered surveys before and after the trial. Their answers were then compared with 285 employees from 12 companies who worked a normal five-day week.
shows improvements in burnout, job satisfaction, mental health and physical health—a pattern not observed in 12 control companies.
Three key factors mediate the relationship: improved self-reported work ability, reduced sleep problems and decreased fatigue. The results indicate that income-preserving 4-day workweeks are an effective organizational intervention for enhancing workers' well-being.
[...] "We know when people are really stressed and burnt out and not sleeping well, productivity doesn't just continue upwards," Dr Sander said.
Who wouldn't want to work one day less per week for the same pay ...
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-22/four-day-work-week-health-burnout/105555392
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-025-02259-6
(Score: 5, Touché) by Ox0000 on Saturday July 26 2025, @02:50PM (2 children)
Did you just suggest acquiring resources Manu Militari? Something like a "Lebensraum" thing maybe: because "we need them and are therefore justified in just taking them from whoever holds them right now"?
This somehow rings familiar but I can't quite place it in time or space.......
(Score: 5, Informative) by mrpg on Saturday July 26 2025, @03:41PM (1 child)
Here are historical examples of "manu militari" resource acquisition justified by claiming necessity:
**Colonial Era Examples:**
- **British in India**: Justified controlling spice trade and textile production as "necessary for empire"
- **European scramble for Africa**: Claimed need for raw materials, markets, and "civilizing mission"
- **Spanish conquistadors**: Justified seizing Aztec/Inca gold as divine right and economic necessity
**Modern Examples:**
- **Japan in WWII**: "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere" - claimed need for oil and raw materials justified invading Southeast Asia
- **Soviet Union in Eastern Europe**: Claimed security needs justified occupying buffer states and extracting resources
- **Iraq's invasion of Kuwait (1990)**: Saddam claimed economic necessity and historical rights to Kuwaiti oil
**Cold War Resource Wars:**
- **US interventions in Latin America**: Justified by "protecting American business interests" (United Fruit Company in Guatemala, etc.)
- **Soviet influence in Africa**: Claimed ideological necessity to secure mineral resources
**Contemporary Concerns:**
- **China's South China Sea claims**: Justified by "historical rights" and resource needs
- **Russia's actions in Ukraine**: Partly framed around energy resources and agricultural land
- **Water conflicts**: Various nations claiming "vital national interests" over river systems
**The Pattern:**
Each case follows the same logic: "We need these resources for our survival/prosperity/security, therefore we're justified in taking them." The justification always frames it as defensive or necessary rather than aggressive expansion.
(Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 26 2025, @05:54PM
So, basically, we are just dogs marking our territory. Our big brains only exist to rationalize it