A four-day workweek benefits both businesses and employees, according to a study published on July 21 in the Nature Human Behavior journal. Yet even with no legal obstacles, employers in Kazakhstan remain hesitant to embrace the trend.
Boosting work efficiency
In recent years, over 140 companies across five countries — Australia, Canada, Ireland, the U.K. and the U.S. — participated in a trial replacing the traditional five-day workweek with a four-day schedule. For six months, employees worked 32 hours a week instead of the standard 40. Most enjoyed a third day off, though some companies redistributed hours differently. Firms also trimmed unnecessary meetings and reduced nonessential workloads.
Researchers tracked the impact on business outcomes, performance and employee well-being — and the results were overwhelmingly positive:
- Burnout risks declined. Many employees used their extra day to attend medical appointments they previously had to skip. Others spent more time on hobbies and with family, leading to improved mental health.
- Physical health improved. Sleep quality increased and fatigue dropped slightly but consistently.
- Productivity rose. As workers’ mental and physical health improved, companies reported higher revenues.
Similar experiments were conducted after the COVID-19 pandemic in countries including Spain, Japan, Belgium and Poland — all with comparable success.
Not an option for Kazakhstan?
In Kazakhstan, amendments to the Labor Code introduced the option for a four-day workweek in July 2023. The law now permits four-, five- or six-day workweeks. Regardless of the schedule, Sunday remains a universal day off, while the second or third day off, depending on the arrangement, must be set by mutual agreement or established in the workplace regulations.
However, just one month after the new regulation took effect, the job search platform hh.kz surveyed employers and found that none of the Kazakhstani companies had adopted the four-day workweek. The survey included 83 employers. Of those, 69% said they were not even considering the change, and just 3% saw it as a possibility, though not soon.
Many companies cited the nature of their work as the main barrier. Employers involved in continuous production, 24/7 technical support and essential services said a shortened week was simply incompatible with their operations.
Others raised economic concerns. Employers worried that reduced working hours would cut productivity, leading to lower profits and, ultimately, decreased wages.
Additional reasons cited included the complexity of tracking work hours under a nontraditional schedule and a perceived lack of demand from employees for remote or flexible arrangements.
Interestingly, among the small number of employers open to the idea of a four-day week, most said they would only consider it for shift-based roles.
