Microsoft Tried a Four-Day Workweek and Productivity Boomed
Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) tested a four-day workweek over the summer, and workers may be very happy about the results. As part of a program in Japan called "Work-Life Choice Challenge," the technology giant closed its offices in the country every Friday in August, giving all employees an extra day off each week.
That cut the time that staff spent in the office by 20% (hours were not changed on the remaining four workdays). The results were encouraging: Productivity, as measured by sales per employee, increased by nearly 40%, according to a recent press release from the company.
This was a very limited test, and the same results might not be duplicated if done in Microsoft offices where coding, not sales, is the main focus. Still, it does show that when rules are put in place to make an office efficient, less can be more.
Source Fool.com
