Study shows 32-hour work week boosts wellbeing without harming productivity

The pilot ran from April 2024 to April 2025, with all the charity’s staff working a 32-hour week (or proportionate reduction for part-time staff) with no loss of pay.Staff members reported a variety of mental health and wellbeing benefits1The research found:

• 69% of staff participating in the study reported less work-related stress  
• 68% of staff participating in the study reported improved mental wellbeing
• 64% of staff participating in the study reported a greater sense of life satisfaction
• 79% of staff participating in the study reported better work/life balance.  

These results are particularly relevant at a time when UK workplaces are grappling with high levels of stress and burnout. The study demonstrates that reducing working hours can be a powerful tool for protecting mental health without compromising organisational performance.Unlike some four-day week models, the Foundation’s approach offers flexibility with staff choosing how to structure their 32 hours. This can help to support caring and parenting responsibilities.HR Manager at the Mental Health Foundation, and single mum, Natalie Frend shared how the new working pattern had benefitted her.  She said: “I now work a 4-day week which has made a massive difference. I finish on a Thursday and have no alarm the next day!“I now use the time to go swimming and exercise or just have some down-time. This is a new concept to me as a single mum of two children, having spent the last ten years on my own. “It has given me extra space to get chores and life-admin done and has freed up my weekend.”The 32-hour week may also be working to reduce inequalities in the workplace. The evaluation found that part-time staff reported a larger decrease in work-related stress than full-time colleagues. Employees with lived experience of poor mental health gained the most, with larger improvements in mental wellbeing, satisfaction with work-life balance, and overall life satisfaction compared to those without lived experience of poor mental health. Those with a disability, long-term condition, neurodivergence, parenting responsibilities, or caring responsibilities also described specific ways the pilot has improved their quality of life and made work more sustainable for them. Almost eight in ten staff reported a better work life balance and more time for rest and meaningful leisure ranging from family time to hobbies, with one member of staff using the time for his long-time hobby of cheesemaking.The organisation also saw benefits to recruitment and retention of staff. The reduced working week enhanced its benefits package making it an attractive option for a wider range of candidates. During the pilot year:

• Applications to vacancies nearly doubled compared to the previous year
• 28% of applicants cited the 32-hour week as one of their top two reasons for applying
• There was a 50% reduction in staff expressing an intention to leave

Aaron Campbell joined in June this year as a Marketing and Communications Assistant. He said that the reduced working week was a contributing factor when applying for his role.Aaron said: “The 32-hour working week was definitely a draw for me when applying for my role at the Mental Health Foundation. I have lots of activities and groups that I am involved with outside of work time and it’s been perfect to find an organisation that allows me to balance both aspects.”The Mental Health Foundation is the UK’s leading charity focused on the prevention of poor mental health. It believes that workplaces have a vital role to play in supporting good public mental health. Given that many people spend a significant portion of their lives at work, employers have a responsibility to create environments that protect and nurture mental wellbeing through supportive policies, flexible working, and a culture that prioritises people as well as performance.The 32-hour week pilot also showed that despite common concerns among employers, the Foundation found no drop in productivity. In fact, some teams reported improved performance due to better prioritisation and more efficient working practices. 55% of staff reported better productivity and 55% reported better ability to manage their workload. Mark Rowland, Chief Executive at Mental Health Foundation said:“With levels of workplace stress and burnout still at epidemic levels across the UK2, we undertook this pilot with the aim of sustaining great performance and improving the mental health and wellbeing of our staff.“Importantly, productivity has remained stable or improved during the pilot and that in many cases the standard of our work had increased through better prioritisation and ways of working.“The strength of the results of the pilot were even better than expected which is why we have now made the pilot permanent.  We’re delighted from a leadership perspective that this has had such a positive impact on both our work and staff.”With the change to a shorter week, the Mental Health Foundation has received Gold Standard accreditation from the 4 Day Week Foundation3.Sam Hunt, Business Network Coordinator of the 4 Day Week Foundation, said:“Congratulations to the Mental Health Foundation for joining the growing number of organisations that have permanently adopted a four-day working week.“Moving to a four-day week gives workers the freedom to be able to live a more balanced, stable and better life.“As hundreds of British companies and one local council have already shown, implementation can be a win-win for both workers and employers.“The 9-5, 5 day working week was invented 100 years ago and no longer suits the realities of modern life. We are long overdue an update.”The report, The impact of a shorter working week can be found at: The impact of a shorter working week