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Microsoft Japan experimented with a 4-day work week and say many positive impacts on the workforce.

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Researchers in Iceland have found that a four-day work week, without a pay cut, improved workers' well-being and productivity.
For four years, researchers tracked 2,500 employees whoreduced their workweek to  35 to 36 hours, according to a study published by Autonomy, a progressive think tank based in the United Kingdom. Researchers found that "worker wellbeing dramatically increased across a range of indicators, from perceived stress and burnout, to health and work-life balance."
At the same time, productivity remained the same or improved for the majority of workplaces, the study said. Participants worked at various places such as hospitals, offices, playschools and social service offices.
In Iceland on average, most employees work 40 hours per week and it is illegal to work more than 13 hours a day. When the trial started, the employees worked 40-hour weeks and later shortened it to 35 to 36 hours. Participants said the reduced hours allowed them to focus on exercising and socializing, which enhanced their work performance. 
The trial reflected the working population's wishes. 
"By the time of this report’s publication in June 2021, 86% of Iceland’s working population are now on contracts that have either moved them to shorter working hours, or give them the right to do so in the future," the study noted. "These trials are therefore an incredible success story of working time reduction, of interest to campaigners and workers worldwide."
The Association for Sustainable Democracy and Autonomy conducted its research from 2015 to 2019 in two large-scale trials that monitored 2,500 workers. Researchers noted workers transitioned from stress and burnout to a healthier "work-life balance," according to the study.
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The trials were created in response to various trade unions and associations pledged to see the introduction of a four-day workweek. Reykjavík City Council and the Icelandic national government commissioned the study. 
More recently, Spain announced a pilot three-year, 50-million-euro ($42.3 million) project that would allow companies to try reducing their hours with minimal risk, according to The Guardian.
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Source: USA Today

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