Those working a four-day week are far less likely to experience burnout and are more effective and efficient employees, according to a new report.

Infinite Potential’s State of Workplace Burnout 2024 report also found that while levels of burnout around the world have largely stabilised, they have increased significantly for women and reduced for men.

The report is based on surveys of more than 2,000 workers across 43 countries, including Australia.

It found that after a steady growth in burnout over the last three years, these rates have stabilised somewhat, with 38 per cent of respondents saying they are experiencing the condition, the same level as last year.

Burnout is a debilitating condition and is defined by the World Health Organisation as a “syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed”, seen through exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced professional effectiveness.

But an investigation of the figures show that burnout is actually steadily increasing for women, up to 42 per cent from 38 per cent last year, and decreasing for men from 33 per cent to 30 per cent.

While previous years have seen steep increases in burnout rates among young workers aged 18 to 25 years, this year saw these rates decline significantly from just under 50 per cent to just over 25 per cent.

The age group with the highest rates of burnout according to the survey is 35 to 44-year-olds, with nearly half of all respondents hit with the condition, along with low levels of wellbeing and feelings of support.

“Workplace burnout is everywhere,” the report said.

“The evidence suggests that there is an urgent need to rethink the work ecosystem.

“It’s time to prioritise workplace sustainability.”

Australian managers clueless

The Infinite Potential report also found that Australian managers are simply not getting the message about the prevalence of burnout across the workforce.
The survey found that just under 70 per cent of managers surveyed thought their employees’ wellbeing was the same or better than a year prior, but only 45 per cent of respondents agreed with this.

“Despite its seeming ubiquity, burnout is not an inevitable outcome of work,” the report said.

“We have the power to choose a different path where work fuels us, not consumes us.

“The time for band-aid solutions and inertia is over.

“It’s time to embrace the imperative of a workplace evolution.

“This shift requires rethinking outdated management models, nurturing flexibility, evolving leadership skills and mindsets and embracing technological advancements not as threats, but as tools to empower and augment human potential.”

Working more efficiently

One way to address these high rates of burnout head-on, and improve workplace efficiency, is through the introduction of a four-day working week, the report found.

The popularity of this initiative, which sees workers receiving their full pay for working one less day per week while maintaining the same level of productivity, has skyrocketed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and is increasingly being adopted by businesses of all sizes across many industries.

The report found that while 42 per cent of total workers surveyed were experiencing burnout, less than 10 per cent of those working a four-day week were.

“Reducing working hours (with the same pay) translates to demonstrably positive outcomes for both individuals and organisations,” the report said.

“This data challenges the long-held assumption that longer hours equate to greater output.

“Instead, it suggests that optimised work hours, coupled with a focus on wellbeing, leads to significantly higher employee effectiveness and wellbeing.

“For leaders looking to increase productivity while also caring for their peoples’ wellbeing, reducing working hours may just be the key to unlocking this potential.

“Reducing working hours is not a frivolous trend, but a data-driven approach to building a happier, healthier and more productive workforce.”

The findings back up numerous other studies into the virtues of the four-day working week, which has found that it improves worker productivity and retention and boosts overall efficiency.

Earlier this year the ACT announced plans to become the first Australian jurisdiction to trial a four-day work week in the public sector.