Compressed work-week: psychophysiological and physiological repercussions

This research examines the possible fatigue induced in workers submitted to a compressed 4-40 work-week (i.e. 40 h in 4 days, as compared to the usual 5-40 schedule, i.e. 40 h in 5 days). Two groups of workers from two different factories (4-40 and 5-40 work schedules) manufacturing similar products participated in the study. The analysis of data from measurements of reaction time, heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, respiratory volumes, O 2 consumption, CO 2 production etc., did not reveal any significant differences between the two groups measured before and after the first and the last day of the work-week. However, the critical flicker fusion frequency and the right hand strength showed a significant greater impairment in the 4-40 workers. We conclude that The fatigue originating from the tasks accomplished by these 4-40 workers is as considerable as the one encountered by the workers of a similar factory working under a 5-40 schedule.