In his 1930 essay Economic possibilities for our grandchildren, the British economist John Maynard Keynes shared his vision of what our working lives might look like a century down the line. "We shall endeavour to spread the bread thin on the butter − to make what work there is still to be done to be as widely shared as possible," he wrote. "Three-hour shifts or a 15-hour week may put off the problem for a great while."
That future might not have yet become a reality but, thanks to developments in artificial intelligence and the changing nature of the modern workplace, the question of how long the standard working week should be is now more pertinent than ever. According to the World Economic Forum's latest Future of Jobs report, by 2022, up to 75 million positions could be lost to automation globally. However, the media has recently concentrated on another far more palatable story.
Lately, the idea of a four-day working week has been the topic of intense interest. The New Zealand-based company Perpetual Guardian − which manages trusts, wills and estate planning for its clients – trialled this model between March and April this year. During that period, its 240 employees worked 32 hours a week over four days, instead of 40 hours over five days, with no reduction in salary. Academic researchers collected qualitative and quantitative data throughout the experiment. In light of the positive results, including lower self-reported levels of stress, greater engagement and improved performance, the company decided to implement the change permanently.
Over the years, a number of scientific studies have hinted at the benefits of working fewer hours. In 2015, for instance, an article in the Lancet reported results of what is arguably the largest research project on the relation between working hours and the risks of stroke and coronary heart disease. Published and unpublished data collected on 603,838 individuals across Europe, Australia and the US was analysed, revealing that the more hours one works, the higher the risk for stroke and heart disease.
Meanwhile, a 2013 study published in the International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health came to a conclusion that will be obvious to many of us: that levels of cortisol − a steroid hormone associated with stress – were higher among subjects when they were at work and lower on their days off.
It is, however, intriguing that a single eight-week trial conducted by one company in New Zealand should prompt such widespread support for the universal roll-out of a four-day working week, especially considering how short it was. Studies on the benefits of reducing work weeks to four days are not a new thing, by any means. The Journal of Nursing Administration carried an article on this very topic back in 1971. Trials over longer periods of time have also been undertaken in Sweden and Iceland over the past four years. They yielded results worthy of further attention − ranging from less sick leave to improved productivity − but none that could be taken as a general rule, outside the specific working cultures and business sectors studied.
As always, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Trials are necessary to inform policy and strategy. However, they must be performed over an adequate period of time to ensure that their results are not merely temporary blips. In addition, self-reporting should not be relied on too heavily. After all, research consistently shows gaps between what people report and what is really happening.
Clear neurophysiological data must be collected to assess the impact of changes to working hours on the health of workers, especially the effects of stress. When rigorous data shows the long-term benefits of a four-day work week, I will be all for it, but I am against generalising on the basis of one short-term experiment.
Still, we do appear to be moving in that direction. In a blog post published on his company's website earlier this year, Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, wrote: "By working more efficiently, there is no reason why people can't work [fewer] hours and be equally – if not more – effective. People will need to be paid more for working less time, so they can afford more leisure time. That's going to be a difficult balancing act to get right, but it can be done." Here, Mr Branson sounds very much like one of the grandchildren that Keynes imagined.
Professor Olivier Oullier is the president of Emotiv, a neuroscientist and a DJ
Company%20profile
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
The%20trailblazers
%3Cp%3ESixteen%20boys%20and%2015%20girls%20have%20gone%20on%20from%20Go-Pro%20Academy%20in%20Dubai%20to%20either%20professional%20contracts%20abroad%20or%20scholarships%20in%20the%20United%20States.%20Here%20are%20two%20of%20the%20most%20prominent.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EGeorgia%20Gibson%20(Newcastle%20United)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20reason%20the%20academy%20in%20Dubai%20first%20set%20up%20a%20girls%E2%80%99%20programme%20was%20to%20help%20Gibson%20reach%20her%20potential.%20Now%20she%20plays%20professionally%20for%20Newcastle%20United%20in%20the%20UK.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMackenzie%20Hunt%20(Everton)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EAttended%20DESS%20in%20Dubai%2C%20before%20heading%20to%20the%20UK%20to%20join%20Everton%20full%20time%20as%20a%20teenager.%20He%20was%20on%20the%20bench%20for%20the%20first%20team%20as%20recently%20as%20their%20fixture%20against%20Brighton%20on%20February%2024.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
Full name: Aisha Abdulqader Saeed
Age: 34
Emirate: Dubai
Favourite quote: "No one has ever become poor by giving"
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder
Started: October 2021
Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Industry: technology, logistics
Investors: A15 and self-funded
New Zealand squad
Tim Southee (capt), Trent Boult (games 4 and 5), Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson (games 1-3), Martin Guptill, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor, Blair Tickner
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
More on Quran memorisation:
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
