A trial of a four-day workweek in Britain found an overwhelming majority of the 61 companies that participated will continue with shorter hours, and reported that most employees felt less stressed and burned-out. According to Al Jazeera, revenue reported by the participating companies largely stayed the same over the June to December trial period and even grew compared with the same six months a year earlier, according to findings released in early February.

“We feel really encouraged by the results, which showed the many ways companies were turning the four-day week from a dream into a realistic policy with multiple benefits,” said David Frayne, research associate at the University of Cambridge who helped lead the team conducting employee interviews for the trial.

Employees reported benefits with 71% saying they felt less burned-out, 39% saying they were less stressed, and 48% saying they were more satisfied with their jobs than before the trial. Of the workers, 60% said it was easier to balance work and responsibilities at home while 73% reported increased satisfaction with their lives.

According to the findings, revenue was not affected for companies that rolled out the shorter work hours. In fact, revenue grew 1.4% over the course of the trial for 23 companies that provided adequate data while a separate 24 companies saw revenue climb more than 34% from the same six-month period a year earlier.

There was a drop in the likelihood of employees quitting, down 57% compared with the same period a year earlier, as well as those calling out sick, down 65% from a year ago. Of the companies, 92% reported they would continue with the four-day workweek with 30% saying it became a permanent change.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way the world works with people seeking greater flexibility to improve work-life balance.