Top professor claims the UK needs a four-day working week to combat stress

A top doctor said that a four-day workweek 'will help reduce stress, let families spend more time together and cut unemployment'

17:23 03 July 2014

Professor John Ashton, one of Britain’s leading doctors, has called to phase out five-day work week to help people combat high levels of work-related stress and let them spend more time with their families. 

 

He said that switching to four-day week would also help in reducing unemployment and in addressing medical conditions. 

 

"When you look at the way we lead our lives, the stress that people are under, the pressure on time and sickness absence, [work-related] mental health is clearly a major issue. 

 

"We should be moving towards a four-day week because the problem we have in the world of work is you've got a proportion of the population who are working too hard and a proportion that haven't got jobs", Ashton said.

 

"We've got a maldistribution of work. The lunch-hour has gone; people just have a sandwich at their desk and carry on working.” 

 

"We need a four-day week so that people can enjoy their lives, have more time with their families, and maybe reduce high blood pressure because people might start exercising on that extra day."