4-Day Workweek Could Increase Workers' Happiness, Reduce Stress, Study Finds

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Who doesn't love a three-day weekend? A new study finds there is now some data to support the idea of reducing the workweek to four days.

An eight-week study conducted in New Zealand earlier this year found that by switching to a four-day workweek, overall teamwork and worker engagement increased, while workers' stress decreased.

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However, the study did not find any signs of increased work quality, but participants reacted positively to the idea of a four-day workweek.

In his findings, Professor Jarrod Haar of Auckland University of Technology concludes that "overall, the empirical (survey) data from both employees and supervisors is very promising. Clearly the 4-day week is doable."

And the idea may be gaining traction overseas. According to Business Insider, unions in the United Kingdom have been calling for a reduced workweek, with hopes that a stronger work-life balance will increase overall productivity.

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Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, an associate professor of economics and strategy at the University of Oxford, believes that the happiness and relaxation gained from an extra day off outweighs the negatives of losing a day of work.

"I would argue the four-day working week is spot on in terms of finding or striking that right balance between improving the work-life balance and unlocking the happiness potential from that in terms of productivity gains," De Neve told BBC World News. "This outweighs the net reduction in productivity from working a day less.

"When you are more positive about your job and your life while on the job, it relates to being able to be more productive," De Neve said.